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34 ST 




MORTON. 




Class fiLi.:^ 
BooIcXlAM^ 
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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



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Mrs, a. M. Drennan. 



FILLED HANDS 



I 



^H^1)7T-' 



Filled Hands 

1 I 

A Story of c\ 

^ Mrs. A. M. Drennan's Life J 
^ and Work in Japan 1 

(T I 

I By 

} 

I Mrs. J. H. MORTON 

1 

'■' :'■ •■■%*ii^:' ■ :••-■■• ' 

/( Nashville, Tennessee 

f IT 

^ Cumberland Presbyterian Pub. House c\ 



1899 



0^^^^^=x:i^ 



1 



TWO COPIES RECEIVED. 

Library of Gcngjoa^ 

Office of tM 'B\/3,4i57 

Register cf Uf^v\i\,^^Mll^\o 



Copyrighted in 1899 

BY THE Board of Publication of the 

Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 



INTRODUCTORY WORD 

AND DEDICATION. 



During- Mrs. Drennan's visit to America, 
after a ten years' stay in Japan, I had the g-ood 
fortune to hear her tell on several occasions 
the story of her life and work among- the Japa- 
nese. 

The wonderful influence of these talks upon 
her audiences so impressed me with the possi- 
bilities for good in her life story that I long-ed 
to give it to the whole church. In attempting 
this, much of Mrs. Drennan's language has 
been retained. This simple story of her beauti- 
ful life, happy in love and sacrifice for her 
Master, is prepared with the hope that many 
may read it and be led to emulate her example. 

I am indebted to Mrs. I. H. Goodnight and 
Mrs. McGoodwin for assistance in collecting 
material for the work. To them and to all the 
women of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church 
this little book is dedicated. 

Mrs. J. H. Morton. 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter I. Page. 
Birth, Childhood, and Parentage 1 

Chapter II. 

Conversion, Education, Marriag-e, and 

Death of Her Husband 6 

Chapter III. 
School, Revival, Second Marriage 10 

Chapter IV. 
A Careless Word 14 

Chapter V. 
Becoming a Missionary 17 

Chapter VI. 
Good-Byes to Friends and Native I^and. . . 20 

Chapter VII. 

The Voyage and Landing in Japan 23 

Chapter VIII. 
Entering Upon the Work 26 

Chapter IX. 
Sickness — Visit to the Mountains 30 



viii CONTENTS. 

Chaptkr X. 
Story of a Japanese Baby 34 

Chapter XI. 
Christian I^ndeavor Society Org-anized — 

Retrospect 38 

Chapter XII. 
School Work. 41 

Chapter XIII. 
New Classes — The Orphanag-e — Kvang-elis- 

tic Work 47 

Chapter XIV. 
Work in Nag-oya 50 

Chapter XV. 

^irst Annual Woman's Conference in Ja- 
pan — Incidents 55 

Chapter XVI. 

A Trip to Hida 61 

Chapter XVII. 
Sickness — A Call to America— I^etter From 

One of Her Boys 65 

Chapter XVIII. 
Return to Japan 70 

Chapter XIX. 
Bible Training- School — Duties of a Bible 

Woman 74 

Chapter XX, 
I^etter From Mr. Eanno. 77 



CONTENTS. ix 

Chapter XXI. 
The Work at Shiroko— The Old Woman's 

Class 80 

Chapter XXII. 
A lyittle Girl Rescued 84 

Chapter XXIII. 
The Work as Carried on at Present 90 

Chapter XXIV. 
How Supported — New Work. 94 

Chapter XXV. 
Interesting- I^etter — Trip to Shima 99 

Chapter XXVI. 
Japanese Christian Work . . . . 109 



CHAPTER I. 

BIRTH, CHII^DHOOD, AND PARKNTAGE. 

Mrs. Drennan's work in Japan will com- 
mend itself to all who are interested in 
modern missions; but, to the average 
reader, the interest accorded the history of 
the achievements of a noted man or woman 
is greatly enhanced by a knowledge of the 
early life and peculiar environment leading 
to the development of the character intro- 
duced. To this end the reader's attention is 
directed to a period, dating as far back as 
three-score years and ten, to find the start- 
ing point of this grand woman, whose in- 
fluence has been recognized and felt in this 
and other lands. 

There is nothing wonderful, however, to 
record in the early life of Mrs. Drennan. 
The most remarkable thing, perhaps, was 
the name which greeted her arrival in the 
world ; she was christened by an old uncle 
America Missouri McCutchen, thus dem- 
(1) 



FILLED HAXDS, 

t a very early age her ability 
for burden bearing. 

Her father, J ohn McCutchen, a Virginian 
by birth, soon after the close of the Revo- 
lutionary War moved to Southern Ken- 
tucky and located in what is known as the 
'* Cumberland Country." Her mother, An- 
nie Motherel, was born in North Carolina^ 
but in early childhood moved with her pa- 
rents to Wilson County, Tenn., and settled 
near where the cit}^ of Nashville now 
stands. She married Mr. McCutchen in 
1806, and they made their home in Ken- 
tucky. Mrs. McCutchen was a convert of 
the ''great revival of 1800," that noted re- 
ligious awakening that swept over Ken- 
tuck}- and Tennessee, resulting in the or- 
ganization of the Cumberland Presbyterian 
Church. 

Mrs. McCutchen was a member of the 
memorable Woman's Missionary Society 
organized at Russellville, Logan County, 
Ky., and helped to make that wonderful 
suit of striped linsey that adorned the first 
Cumberland Presbyterian missionary, Rev. 
R. D. Morrow, when he started on his 
preaching tour through Missouri in 1819. 

Mr. and Mrs. McCutchen moved with 
their little family to Pilot Grove, Cooper 



BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 3 

County, Mo., in 1829. They lived within 
the bounds of Mr. Morrow's work. This 
good man, by his Christian character as 
w^ell as his earnest preaching, did much 
toward stimulating and cultivating a religi- 
ous sentiment in the then '' Far West." He 
was a frequent visitor at the house of Mr. 
McCutchen, where he was always welcome, 
and his presence was regarded as a bene- 
diction to their home. It was here, in the 
year 1830, July 23, that Mrs. Drennan was 
born, and around this spot cluster the 
memories of her happy childhood. 

If it be true that the conditions sur- 
rounding the first years of a child's life 
mould its character, then the story that 
fills these pages but portrays the natural 
development of a child reared in an intense- 
ly religious atmosphere. When quite a 
little girl she felt that she was a Christian 
child, and her sympathetic heart was often 
grieved over the sad state of her play- 
mates. In revival meetings she would of- 
ten urge them to go to the altar for prayer. 
When about eight years old she attended 
school in the neighborhood accompanied 
by a boy cousin. On the way to school 
one day they were talking, as they often 
did, about heaven. She was very anxious 



4 FILLED HANDS. 

that he be prepared for heaven and begged 
him to try to become a Christian. The boy- 
said he would not try because '* God had 
ordained who should be vSaved, and if he 
was lost he could not help it.'' She was 
greatly shocked over this remark, and 
prayed for him in her childish way most 
earnestly. She was a thorough Cumber- 
land Presbyterian in this particular. The 
two children had doubtless gathered their 
ideas on the subject from conversations 
heard in their homes relative to the causes 
leading to the organization of the Cum- 
berland Presbyterian Church. Mr. and 
Mrs. McCutchen had been intimately asso- 
ciated with the leaders of that movement. 
They often entertained the young preachers 
with the story of the revival and the early 
history of the Church. In this way, though 
so young, the child became familiar with 
the doctrines which led to the separation 
from the mother Church. 

She not only showed an interest in her 
schoolmates, but in all mission work ; espe- 
cially in the work of her uncle, Rev. Robert 
Bell, who was laboring among the Indians. 
His letters were treasured as messages from 
one of God's honored ones. Her mind 
and heart, even at that early age, seem to 



BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 5 

have been turned toward such work. She 
listened with interest to the story told by 
her mother of the first Woman's Mission- 
ary Society, and the thrilling tale of the 
trials and hardships of the early ministers. 
She read with interest and eagerness such 
books as the life of Mrs. Judson, and her 
young heart was filled with longing to help 
carry the gospel to those who had it not. 

In after years it became a source of re- 
gret and even of reproach to her own 
heart, that, knowing and loving the way as 
she did, she delayed so long to go out to 
the open fields to glean for the Master. 



CHAPTER II. 

CONVERSION, EDUCATION, MARRIAGE, AND 
DEATH OF HER HUSBAND. 

When fifteen years old the thought came 
to her, through the preaching of Rev. P. 
G. Rea, that she was not a Christian. The 
text from which the sermon was preached 
is found in Jer. viii. 22 : '' Is there no balm 
in Gilead? is there no physician there? 
why then is not the health of the daughters 
of my people recovered?" The inquiry, 
*' Am I really healed ? stirred her heart to 
its depth. At the close of the sermon, 
while the congregation was singing, a good 
woman told of the joy that was in her heart, 
while her face seemed luminous with the 
love of God. 

Mrs. Drennan tells us that this woman's 
smile pierced her heart with the keenest 
sorrow. She said, '' Oh, I never felt like 
that; I have no such joy in my heart ! '* A 
sense of utter loneliness came over her^ 
(6) 



CONVERSION. 7 

and she wept profusely. She then resolved, 
God helping her, that she would become 
one of his children. For several months 
she was in great distress, often going to the 
altar for prayer, and true to the habit of 
her childhood, she induced many of her 
companions to join her in seeking salva- 
tion. The last night of a camp meeting 
held in August, 1845, at Salt Fork Church, 
Saline County, Mo., she found *' peace," and 
like a weary child she seemed to fall into 
the Savior's arms and rest. 

She was educated in Boonville, Mo. 
After graduating she returned to the same 
school for a post-graduate course. She 
was at this time engaged to be married to 
Rev. F. A. Witherspoon, a 3^oung minister 
of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; 
and realizing the responsibility of the po- 
sition soon to be assumed, she determined 
to fit herself in every way to become effi- 
cient as a pastor's wife. Two years later, 
on September 18, 1850, she was married, 
and the duties and pleasures of home filled 
her heart and hands. 

Judge Ewing, in his Memoirs of Mr. 
Witherspoon, adds this tribute to Mrs. 
Witherspoon, his wife: " I hold her up as 
a model woman for a preacher's wife." 



8 FILLED HANDS. 

Mr. Witherspoon was pastor at Kinmundy, 
111., where he died on October 26, 1863. 
thirteen years after their marriage. After 
this sad event she returned to her home in 
Missouri. 

Strange as it may seem this good woman, 
after the death of her husband, was in re- 
bellion against the God she had loved and 
trusted so long. This was the darkest 
period of her life. In speaking of it she 
says : " I would not thus uncover this horrid 
sore were it not for the hope that some 
soul may be warned and not be stranded 
on the same rock." When her husband 
was sick, she would not believe it was unto 
death; her faith was strong and she im- 
plicitly believed in the promises of God. 
She said : " He has told me to ask what I 
will and it shall be given unto me ; I know 
"God will hear my prayer and spare his 
life." " If symptoms seemed worse, I 
thought it was to try my faith, and I prayed 
the more earnestly, strengthening my 
faith with each text as if faith could save 
him. I see now that I lost sight of Christ, 
and was depending on my faith alone to do 
the work. Such faith as I had ! It seemed 
almost enough to remove mountains. 
There was not a shadow of doubt in my 



CONVERSION. 9 

mind. When the physician attempted to 
tell me his true condition, I said, * He can- 
not die ! ' Thus I came up to the very 
moment when I saw his eyes close. With 
the knowledge that he was truly dead 
came this fearful rebellion against God. I 
said : * He is not true to his promises ; I 
have been deceived ; God is not true.' Oh, 
the darkness of that hour to my soul ! For 
months I was in this fearful state, but, 
thanks be to God, he did not forsake me. 
I was gently led out of my fruitless strug- 
gle against him by tender influence lov- 
ingly thrown around me, and again as a 
weary child I found myself in the ever- 
waiting arms of my dear Savior. Since 
that time my trust is in God, not in the 
strength of faith I have." 



CHAPTER III. 

SCHOOL WORK. — RKVIVAI..— SECOND MAR- 
RIAGK. 

After this distressing ordeal, through 
ivhich she came as pure gold, tried in the 
hands of a refiner, the desire to give her- 
self to "his work" came with renewed 
force. She was willing to go to distant 
lands if it were God's will. But there were 
many hindrances. She had the care of 
two orphan children, the son and daughter 
of Mr. Witherspoon's brother, and her fa- 
ther v/as growing feeble ; so duty demanded 
that she stay near him. She secured a sit- 
uation as teacher in Missouri Female Col- 
lege at Boonville. In this school were 
about forty boarding pupils, only two of 
whom were Christians. With these two 
girls she held a weekly prayer meeting in 
her room. It became so interesting that 
they invited others to join with them, and 
soon every available place on the floor of 

(10) 



SCHOOL WORK. 11 

her room was occupied by girls seeking 
anxiously for salvation. They asked that 
the meeting be held every evening, although 
they had only thirty minutes recess be- 
tween study hour and the ringing of the 
retiring bell. Soon every girl in the house 
had asked for prayers. Some nights she 
and the two Christian girls spent the greater 
part of the night trying to lead others to 
Christ. The pastor, Rev. P. G. Rea, learn- 
ing of the interest in the school, began a 
protracted meeting, assisted by Rev. J. B. 
Logan. Every one connected with the 
school, even the servants, found peace in 
Christ, as also did perhaps a hundred oth- 
ers in the town, so widespread was the in- 
fluence of this little meeting of three in a 
private room. A wonderful fulfillment of 
the promise, '' Where two or three are met 
together in my name, there will I be in 
their midvSt." 

After the war closed, Mrs. Drennan gave 
up her school work and returned to her 
home, there to devote herself to the care 
of her aged father and the two adopted 
children. She kept up a little missionary 
society with the two children, sending 
each month an oflFering consecrated with 
prayer across the sea. No opportunity for 



12 FILLED HANDS, 

doing good was lost by this earnest worker, 
but under all circumstances she did what 
her hands found to do. 

After the death of her father she was 
again married, on the 28th of January, 
1868. Her second husband, Rev. J. A. 
Drennan, was also a Cumberland Presby- 
terian minister. She removed with him to 
Lexington, Mo., where he was the loved 
pastor of that church. 

Two more years of faithful service and 
he, too, was called home, leaving her heart 
again desolate. Just one month later her 
only child, a boy thirteen months old, was 
laid beside his father to wait the resurrec- 
tion morn. Her heart seemed almost par- 
alyzed with this double sorrow. Yet, won- 
dering, she trusted and waited to know 
what the Lord would have her do. In a 
very short time, with intense desire, came 
the inward longing for something, she 
scarce knew what. Her mind was upon 
mission work, at home, abroad, and every- 
where, 3^et the way did not seem clear. Two 
more children — the daughters of Mr. Dren- 
nan by a former marriage — now claimed 
her care. These were to be educated, and 
her own smitten church needed help. So 
she again took the school work at Lexing- 



I 



SCHOOL WORK. IS 

ton, hoping to do something in the Sunday 
school and church as well as at the semin- 
ary for Christ. She continued in this*pleas- 
ant work until circumstances made it nec- 
essary for her to return to her home with 
her children, now about grown. Here she 
seemed permanently fixed until a bank fail- 
ure forced her to teach for a support ; which 
she did until her failing health compelled 
her to abandon her work. 

She then went to Oxford, Miss., with the 
hope of regaining her strength. Soon af- 
ter reaching there one of the teachers of 
Union Female College was taken sick, and 
Mrs. Drennan offered her services until this 
teacher should be able to return to her 
duties. A protracted illness, however, un- 
fitted her for taking her position again, and 
Mrs. Drennan taught through the term until 
June. 



CHAPTER IV. 

A CARELESS WORD. 

*'Evil is wrought b^' want of thought as well 
as by want of heart." 

Through all the varied scenes she had 
passed the desire to give herself wholly to 
the Master's service increased, 3'et she did 
not understand that God was '' tearing up 
the nest" and forcing her out into the 
work she had loved from childhood. In 
her deep humility she dared not hope to 
engage in anything so beautiful and Christ- 
like. She felt that the time was passed, 
that she was now too old. Yet in the year 
1880, when the call came through the pa- 
pers for the women of the Cumberland 
Presbyterian Church to organize a Board 
of Missions, her whole being was thrilled. 
She responded to the call and met with 
other ladies of the church in Evansville, 
Ind., for the purpose of considering the 
matter. The organization was eflFected, 

(14) 



A CARELESS WORD. 15 

and Mrs. Drennan was made chairman of 
the committee to select the location of the 
Board. 

Not long after this a member of the As- 
sembly's Board suggested that they ask 
Mrs. Drennan to go to the foreign field. 
She had never spoken of her desire to enter 
upon this work, and when the message 
came she was startled. To her tempest- 
tossed heart it was like a beacon light 
pointing to a harbor of safety. She felt 
that God was opening her heart to them, 
or they could never have known how great- 
ly she had desired to go. The next day after 
receiving the communication from the 
Board, she was in company with some la- 
dies who had heard that she was going 
as a missionary. They congratulated her 
on her decision, and she was about to ex- 
press her great joy that she was thought 
worthy to go, when a thoughtless one pres- 
ent said, **0h, what good could one of 
your age do there?" This was a cruel 
blow to the sensitive, burdened heart, and 
awakened and emphasized the old trouble 
suggested by her own mind, that her age 
was an insurmountable obstacle. 

She had for a long time been fighting 
this trouble, and had almost silenced her 



16 FILLED HANDS. 

doubts, but now she dared not express her 
wish to go lest she should bring reproach 
upon the cause. One more year passed, 
and she attended the second meeting of 
the Board, which convened at Bowling 
Green, Ky. Here her influence was felt in 
a marked degree. Many were made to 
know and feel the grandeur of her charac- 
ter, so pre-eminently was it shown in her 
words and manner on this occasion. When 
in her presence one almost felt the impress 
of the Divine. She seemed to read the 
inmost thoughts of the heart, and to know 
all that vvas wrong within ; and yet it was a 
joy to be with her, because it seemed that her 
great heart, assimilating the divine One, 
knowing all, would pity and forgive. No 
one can be long in her society without 
feeling the sublime goodness of her char- 
acter. It is not the superiority of mind, 
although she is a woman of extraordinary 
ability ; it is not a fascinating appearance, 
though her bearing is most pleasing ; it is 
not her religion, though this is of the 
brightest and most attractive type ; it is 
the entire forgetfulness of self, a going 
about and doing good, so perfect an imita- 
tion of Christlike living that the woman is 
not seen, but Christ in whom she is hid. 



CHAPTER V. 

THB STRUGGLE KNDS — SHE OFFERS HER- 
SELF TO THE BOARD. 

At the meeting referred to in Bowling 
Green, Mrs. Drennan suggested the organ- 
ization of synodical and presbyterial socie- 
ties, which have since been so helpful in car- 
rying on the missionary work. At this meet- 
ing she also suggested the circular letter 
plan that has been adopted and used suc- 
cessfully in many of our presbyteries. She 
was appointed synodic vice-president of 
Missouri, which office she accepted, hop- 
ing to find in this work that which would 
satisfy her heart. She organized some so- 
cieties, but the work did not prosper in 
her hands. She felt that God had closed 
her lips, and this was not what he would 
have her do. Again, at McMinnville, 
Tenn., she went into the schoolroom, but 
this work, formerly a pleasing task, had 
now become intolerably irksome to her. 
(l7)-2 



18 FILLED HANDS, 

She gave up the school and determined to 
offer herself to the Board. The struggle 
had been so long that she had already, in 
mind, given up home and friends. Her 
age had been the one great barrier, and 
the thought came to her that it would be 
an insult to God to offer him so small a 
part of a life that seemed so unprofitable. 
Very sore were the struggles of this truly 
conscientious woman before the victory 
was won ; but God made it plain to her in 
many ways that her work was not in the 
home land, and she felt that, though she 
should be counted a fanatic, she would if 
permitted follow Christ even unto death. 
So long had she hesitated to obey his call 
that she now feared she would not be 
allowed to do his bidding. This she re- 
garded as the greatest calamity possible 
to her. In describing her feelings at this 
time, she says, " I felt if I must die, and 
my body be buried in the sea, he would 
bring good out of it, and his name be more 
honored by my death than by my life, and 
I was content that it should be so, if this 
were his will. Thus was I led to give up 
all, even life itself, for him. How richly 
he has repaid me I need not try to tell ! My 
grief and humiliation now is that I did not 



I 



THE STRUGGLE ENDS, 19 

come cheerfully when he first called. If 
we are his what he would have us do is 
best for us. He would lead his children 
through green pastures and beside still 
waters if they would but let him ; but how 
often do we compel him to take us through 
the rough places until hands and feet are 
bleeding and torn ere we say, * Thy will be 
done.' '' She had been so entirely con- 
vinced that the Lord wanted her to go that 
she dared not vSpend another year in the 
home land, and would have gone even had 
her application to the Board been rejected. 
She says, '' I got to feel that my dut}^ was to 
obey, not to ask what I could do ; the Lord 
bade me go ; he knew what he wanted. I 
simply had to obey, leaving all else in his 
hands." 

After due consideration by the members 
of the Board she was accepted. The con- 
secration service was held in the lecture 
room of the First Cumberland Presbyte- 
rian Church at Evansville, Ind., on Sab- 
bath afternoon, March, 1883. At her re- 
quest, only members of the Board and Dr. 
Bell were present. 



CHAPTER VI. 

XASl" DOUBT RKMOVKD — GOOD-BYKS TO 
FRIKNDS AND NATIVK I,AND. 

After taking leave of the Board Mrs. 
Drennan hastened on to MLssouri for a 
parting word with relatives there, having 
already said good-bye to Kentucky friends. 
Her visit to her friends in Missouri was 
saddened by the unexpected death of her 
oldest sister, who passed away about the 
same hour that Mrs. Drennan was being 
consecrated. 

After a few days spent with each mem- 
ber of her family, she started on her jour- 
ney Eastward. At Kansas City she took 
leave of the last familiar face and was alone, 
speeding onward to an unknown land. She 
would not have been human had she not 
experienced a feeling of loneliness. The 
way seemed long, the work unknown, but 
in her helplessness she looked to the never- 
failing Source for comfort. Before retir- 
(20) 



LAST DOUBT RE MO VED. 21 

ing she opened her Bible as usual to read, 
and her attention was arrested by these 
words : '' I will both lay me down in peace 
and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me 
to dwell in safety." It was, indeed, God 
speaking to his servant. The whole page 
seemed illuminated, but she saw only these 
words. She said, '' It is enough, I know 
he is here," and closing the book she pre- 
pared to retire. She was ready for that 
rest in peace. The next morning, without 
any thought of the evening's experience, 
she opened her Bible for the morning les- 
son, and again her heart almost stood still 
as she read the words her eyes first rested 
upon, '' I laid me down and slept : I awaked, 
for the Lord sustained me." It was as if the 
one dear Friend were holding converse 
with her. After this she never for one mo- 
ment doubted God's presence and care, or 
had one lonely feeling in all that journey. 
She knew that God was with her and was 
leading her, and was speaking to her 
through his word. 

The journey all along was a pleasant one. 
Many unexpected kindnesses were re- 
ceived from new-found friends. These 
were but evidences to her of his continued 
presence; constant assurances that dis- 



22 FILLED HANDS, 

pelled all gloomy forebodings. There is 
nothing marvelous in this experience. It 
is only an illustration of God's dealings 
with his children when they submit to be 
led by him. He has never failed to keep 
his promises, and if Christians have not 
this abiding presence it is because they do 
not practice the presence of God. 

After a week spent in San Francisco, she 
bade farewell to her traveling acquaint- 
ances, who accompanied her to the ship 
and placed in her room flowers and other 
evidences of good will ; to them she waved 
a last adieu as she left her native shore. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE VOYAGE AND I^ANDING IN JAPAN. 

The ship on which Mrs. Drennan em- 
barked left San Francisco on the 19th day 
of April, 1883. This mode of travel was 
entirely a new experience to her, yet she 
desired to make the trip alone. She wanted 
only God with her on the great deep ; to 
be shut up alone with him where no other 
could disturb the perfect communion, that 
she might be better fitted to do the work 
to which he had called her. When night 
came she retired to her state room, and 
after lying down she saw on the upper 
berth written in pencil the words which 
had before given her so much comfort : '* I 
will both lay me down in peace and sleep : 
for thou, lyord, only makest me to dwell in 
safety.'* It was thus that the whole jour- 
ney was illumined by the Divine presence, 
seemingly as real to her as the pillar of 
cloud and the pillar of fire to the children 
(23) 



24 FILLED HANDS. 

of Israel. She said, '' My Father made it 
all pleasant ; no doubt entered my mind 
in reference to my duty in going to Japan. 
I felt that God was leading, and where he 
leads is best, and I gladly go." The voy- 
age lasted sixteen days. 

Mrs. Drennan reached J apan on the 5th 
day of Ma3% 1883. She was then fifty-three 
3'ears old. At this age many think it time 
to cease from labor and enjoy a quiet old 
age, but we behold this woman, with all the 
enthusiasm and energy of 3^outh, just en- 
tering upon her great life work. 

More than forty years had this servant of 
God been wandering in the wilderness of 
doubt. Now through his providences she 
is molded into a chosen vessel fitted for the 
Master's use. With a long life rich in ex- 
periences, a mind developed and quick to 
read human nature, physically strong and 
energetic, a heart stirred to its depth and 
filled with a longing desire to redeem the 
time, it seems that in every way she was 
prepared to enter upon the work. When 
she first set foot upon Japanese soil and 
saw its people her soul was filled with ten- 
derest sympathy, and she felt that she had 
a message for them. But how could she 
deliver it with no knowledge of the Ian- 



THE VOYAGE, 25 

guage ? She said to Mr. Hail, a missionary 
who had been there many years : " I do 
not know what I can do, but I know God 
sent me." She carefully studied every 
face, gesture, and action of those about her, 
upon the streets, in the fields, and by the 
wayside. Her daily prayer, with out- 
stretched hands, was, '' O Lord, fill my 
hands with work, and m^y heart with love 
for this people. I am here at thy bidding, 
what wilt thou have me to do?" She 
pleaded the few years yet remaining to her ; 
that there was no time to lose, promising 
to accept anything he sent, and to do his 
work to the best of her ability. So great 
was her eagerness for work that twenty- 
four hours seemed too long a time to remain 
idle ; and so soon as her trunks arrived and 
her room was arranged she began to look 
for something to do. She felt no need of 
rest after the journey. The one thought, 
work for the Master, filled her heart. So 
manifest was this desire that a knowledge 
of the language was not needed to convey 
her earnest wish to those about her. They 
felt intuitively that she had come to help 
them, and their usual dread and aversion 
to the foreigner was lost in the magnetism 
of her presence. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

KNTKRING UPON THK WORK. 

Just three days after her arrival in Osaka 
three young men came to her and asked to 
learn English. One of them already 
had some knowledge of the language, and 
through him she taught the others. She 
gave them a book on physiology. In study- 
ing this they were led to talk of the human 
body and its wonderful structure ; then it 
was but a natural step to lead them from 
the creature to the Creator. They ad- 
vanced so rapidly that by the first of June 
they had completed the work on physiol- 
ogy, and she put them on the regular Chau- 
tauqua course, the book they had studied 
being the first book of the course for that 
year. This was the beginning of the Chau- 
tauqua work in Japan. She had no idea 
at the time of its reaching beyond the little 
circle of students in her own room, but 
within five months after she reached Japan, 
(26) 



ENTERING UPON THE WORK. 27 

in October, 1883, she had regularly organ- 
ized the Chautauqau Circle. 

The following extract from the '' Chau- 
tauqua Movement," by John H. Vincent, 
will give a true idea of Mrs. Drennan's 
work in this direction. Dr. Vincent sa^^s: 
''The success which has attended the ef- 
forts of Mrs. Drennan in firmly establish- 
ing the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific 
Circle in Japan has been attained amid 
many discouragements and obstacles. 
Early in the summer of 1884 a letter from 
this active worker brought the following 
welcome announcement : ' From this far-off 
land I send you some names for enrollment 
upon the C. L. S. C. books. The eight 
applications for membership mark the be- 
ginning of a movement the rapid develop- 
ment of which has been most remarkable. 
The young men here wall read, and it is a 
lamentable fact that but few books of re- 
ligious character have been translated. 
Infidelity has been busy, and such books 
have been spread broadcast. If w^e do not 
give them good books to read they will 
take that which is pernicious. In the be- 
ginning of the society meeting we always 
open with prayer and song. Many young 
men come w^ho oppose Christianit)^ At 



28 FILLED HANDS. 

first some would not kneel, others laughed 
audibly ; now many of these young men 
are in the churches. Some of them date 
their first religious instruction to the Chau- 
tauqua meetings in my room." In June 
Mrs. Drennan whites Dr. Vincent that '' we 
find on our books 750 names enrolled as 
members of the Chautauqua. The C. L. S. 
C. is flourishing beyond our most sanguine 
expectations." In April, 1885, the first 
number of the '' Japanese Chautauqua " was 
issued in book form. 

Seeing that the young men were casting 
off idolatry and drifting into infidelity, she 
realized the demand for immediate work in 
their behalf. Knowing that through the 
young men she could reach the people, she 
devoted much time to them, giving them 
entertainments and preparing a pleasant 
room to which they could come for recrea- 
tion. As the customs of Japan forbid 
young men visiting young ladies in the 
evenings, there was no place for them to 
go for innocent pleasure, and reading rooms 
for young men she recognized as one of the 
great wants of the country at that time. 
Her inventive genius, tactful ability, and 
untiring energy enabled her to do much 
toward supplying this demand. 



ENTERING UPON THE WORK. 29 

The Chautauqua Circle continued to 
widen, including men and women, in a short 
time numbering 1,200 members. Through 
the influence of this work many were 
prompted to send for Bibles and to come 
asking for light. The Mission, in speak- 
ing of this branch of the work, said : *' It 
is of incalculable worth in the work." 



CHAPTER IX. 

SICKNESS. — VISIT TO THE MOUNTAINS. 

On the 20th of July a Japanese festival 
was held in the city. There were wonder- 
ful displays on the streets and in the shops. 
Mrs. Drennan was persuaded by her pu- 
pils to go with them to see the exhibit, 
which was indeed a strange sight to Amer- 
ican eyes It was the great festival of the 
god or that section. This god was brought 
to the river and put into a boat with much 
cheering. The boat was beautifully deco- 
rated and lighted. After the god was seated, 
the boat was filled with priests and singing 
girls, who made the air ring with their 
music. Another boat followed filled with 
coir.bustibles covered with oil which was 
ligli.c- i:::aking a brilliant illumination. 
The entire city was gorgeous with decora- 
tions, and mar\'elous transformations of 
their wares into likenesses of human fig- 
ures, historic scenes, fountains lakes, and 
(30) 



SICKNESS, 31 

waterfalls. Even imitations of elaborate 
and beautiful dresses were made of cups and 
saucers of blue and figured china, the whole 
garment being bordered with tiny white 
china, giving the effect of ermine. All this 
was extremely interesting to Mrs. Drennan 
and she remained on the streets so long that 
she was overcome by the heat and forced 
to resort to the ever-ready and convenient 
jinrickisha to be conveyed to her boarding 
house. She was so prostrated from this 
exposure to a Japanese sun in a Japanese 
crowd that it became necessary for her to 
leave the city ; accordingly, on the last of 
July she went to the mountains for rest. 

While confined to this lonely retreat she 
became almost discouraged. The follow- 
ing incident furnishes a glimpse of the in- 
ner workings of her truly consecrated life. 

She says : " While lying here in a thought- 
ful mood one day, wondering if it were 
true that I had made no mistake in coming 
to Japan, my attention was attracted by a 
gardener who came to trim the trees in the 
yard. Such crude, useless looking instru- 
ments as he had I never savv^ before laid out 
for service. I wondered what the man 
could do with them. He, however, went to 
work with what he had in hand, trimming 



32 



FILLED HAXDS, 



and clipping here and there, looking atten- 
tively at his work. I watched him closeh^ 
until it was finished, and every tree and 
shrub in the yard was to me a thing of 
beauty and intense interest. From the 
workman I had learned my lesson. It was 
not the perfect tool that did the work, but 
the skillful workman. In skillful hands 
crude instruments can accomplish beauti- 
ful things, and the more crude the instru- 
ment the more manifest the user's skill; 
so I said : ' Let me be even like these old 
pruning shears in my skillful Master's 
hands. Those shears are submissive; so, 
O Father, let me be in thy hands. I am 
nothing ; take me and use me to do the 
work thou wouldst have done, in such a 
way as to show the Master's hands that 
hide the poor old instrument that can of 
itself do nothing." " 

The stay in the mountains not proving 
beneficial, she remained only one week, 
but spent the remainder of the vacation at 
Kobe, by the seaside. It was a delightful 
season of rest. Miyoshi San and others of 
her pupils visited her at this place, and the 
time was profitably spent in teaching Eng- 
lish and learning what she could of the 
Japanese language. In August, 1883, our 



SICKNESS, 33 

mission bought a lot on the concession in 
Osaka for the purpose of beginning a school. 
There were three houses on this lot which 
were used for dwelling, boarding, and 
vSchool houses. In September Mrs. Dren- 
nan moved into one of these houses and 
resumed her classes of young men. These 
classes increased so rapidly that it became 
necessary to have afternoon and night ses- 
sions. Three times each week during the 
fall and winter she held children's meet- 
ings in different parts of the city. The 
three young men who were her first pupils 
assisted in this work. She first taught the 
young men the Bible lesson, a picture 
story, and the songs to sing, and they after- 
ward repeated it all to the children. The 
young men were much interested ; the 
rooms were often filled with children, and 
many grown people stood about the doors, 
eager to see what it was that pleased the 
children so much. 

This work was kept up until stopped by 
the priests. It had been a means of grace 
to the boy helpers, as well as of great ben- 
efit to those who heard. 
2 



CHAPTER X. . 

STORY OF A JAPANESE BABY. 

The second week of October, 1883, when 
it seemed that her hands were already full, 
Mrs Drennan was requested to take for her 
own, a baby one year old. The poor fa- 
ther's possessions had been twice burned; 
he had the care of his mother and an aged 
grandmother in addition to his five chil- 
dren. His wife, he said, could be of little 
help with the baby strapped to her back, so 
he decided to put the three eldest children 
out as nurses, and the baby and the boy of 
:six he brought to Mrs. Drennan. He had 
lived near the place where she had been 
liolding children's meetings, and perhaps 
the man knew in this way of her love for 
children, and could readily trust her with 
his ow^n, but surely we can recognize the 
Divine hand leading this heathen father 
toward the light. The family at this time 
were all idolaters. Mrs. Drennan was so 
very busy that she thought but little of the 
(34) 



A JAPANESE BABY, 35 

request until it was repeated the third 
time, then she said : *' Perhaps this is of the 
Lord; I have promised him to take what- 
ever he sends me. I dare not turn this 
away ; I feel that it is God-sent." She was 
teaching her Bible class when the parents 
came to her house with the children. The 
young men were reading at this hour the 
twenty-seventh verse of the ninth chapter 
of Mark: ''Whosoever shall receive one 
of such children in my name receiveth me, 
and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth him 
that sent me/* When the visitors were an- 
nounced she rose from her desk and went 
out and receiv^ed the children, and immedi- 
ately returned to her class and took up the 
explanation of the verse, which she says, 
had ever afterward a deeper meaning to 
her. 

The baby she called Daisy. The boy 
whom the parents brought as nurse for the 
baby was not yet seven years old, and too 
small, Mrs. Drennan thought, for such a 
burden ; so a nurse was hired. But the 
boy, Shozo, was allowed to remain and go 
to school until he grew too large for a girls' 
school, then she sent him to his father who 
had prospered in business and had taken 
his older children home. Through Shozo 



36 FILLED HANDS. 

San's influence, the entire family became 
Christians, the aged grandmother receiv- 
ing baptism at the age of ninety. In a 
letter to Mrs. Drennan several years later, 
Shozo writes: '' Sensie (Honored Lady), I 
thank you so much for all you have done 
for us. If you had not taken me, we would 
none of us have been Christians, so I thank 
you for all we have and are." 

lyittle Daisy w^as very bright, and soon 
learned to speak English, and to sing and 
play on the organ. She was so small that 
it was a surprise and always entertaining 
to those who heard her. In many ways 
she became a help to her faithful friend by 
unconsciously opening the hearts of the 
Japanese people to hear the truth. She 
often distributed tracts to the passers-by, 
who did not hesitate to take them when 
offered by the pretty little tot in foreign 
dress, and she invited them to enter so po- 
litely that they could not refuse her winning 
manner. By this means Mrs. Drennan was 
afforded many opportunities to speak to 
people about Christ that she would not 
otherwise have had, and she was soon made 
to feel and acknowledge the wisdom of 
God in sending to her the little Japanese 
baby. 



A JAPANESE BABY, 37 

Mrs. Drennan writes : '' Daisy is now 
(1899) seventeen years old, is developing 
into a useful, good girl, and is very busy, 
neat, industrious, and studious ; is the or- 
ganist at church and music teacher in the 
school. She is a Christian and gives prom- 
ise of being an intelligent Christian worker. 



CHAPTER XI. 

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR SOCIETY ORGAN- 
IZED. — RETROSPECT. 

In the fall of 1883, while waiting for the 
opening of the girls' school, which took 
place in January, 1884, Mrs. Drennan or- 
ganized a Christian Endeavor Society. She 
was assisted in this work bj' Mishi San, 
who afterward became an elder in the 
church at Osaka. The society grew very 
rapidly and soon published a paper for 
gratuitous distribution, called ''Words of 
Light." Four hundred copies each month 
were scattered broadcast. The meetings 
were held in her rooms. This was the first 
Christian Endeavor Society in Japan. 

It is interesting to note the different 
lines of work that had been undertaken by 
Mrs. Drennan during the first nine months 
of her stay in Japan. Her first efforts led 
to the organization of classes in English 
for young men. Very soon the Chautau- 

(38) 



J 



RETROSPECT, 39 

qua Circle was formed and a periodical 
started. Children's meetings were held in 
diflferent parts of the city ; Sunday schools 
were introduced ; two children were adop- 
ted ; a Christian Endeavor Society was or- 
ganized, and the girls* school opened. These 
are some of the wonderful results of Mrs. 
Drennan's work, all of which was accom- 
plished in less than one year by a woman 
who was thought by some to have passed 
the age line for usefulness. 

In a letter to the Woman's Board, dated 
April 7, 1884, little less than one year after 
her arrival in Japan, she thus writes : '' Yes- 
terday was our quarterly communion. There 
were eight applicants for baptism, and 
among them I v/ill name the father, moth- 
er and grandmother of my two children, 
and four of my boarding pupils. Two of 
these young men were converted in my 
room." 

In a private letter she says: "I look 
back now over my first year's work in Ja- 
pan with wonder and gratitude. I feel that 
God had me in his own school. I must 
study the people and learn by diligent 
thought and prayer what I should do and 
how work. I was shut up to that only way 
of learning, and though at times it was al- 



40 FILLED HANDS, 

most crucifying, yet I believe it was a bless- 
ing to me. God himself was teaching and 
leading me and blessing the humble efforts 
I made in utter dependence upon him. I 
see now that I was busy day and night, yet 
I do not remember that I ever felt tired. 
My heart was on one thought — work, work 
because Christ had sent me, and I must do 
all I could. 



CHAPTER XII. 

SCHOOI. WORK. 

On January 8, 1884, the Wilmina School 
for Girls was opened with four pupils, 
three girls and the little boy, Shozo San. 
When they had their first vacation, the last 
of June, there had been seventeen pupils 
enrolled. For some reason the English- 
speaking teacher, who had been of so 
much service to Mrs. Drennan as inter- 
preter, was removed, and she was left with 
no one in the house who could speak to 
her in English. As she only knew a few 
Japanese words she was forced to govern 
chiefly by signs. Referring to this time 
she says, *' How I got along I am sure I do 
not know. I ate such things as were 
cooked by an inexperienced cook, and when 
I asked her for a dish of snakes for dinner 
when I wished lobsters, it was no matter 
of great surprise." The need of more 
room was of even greater necessity than 
an interpreter, but it was some time before 
a new school building was erected to accom- 

(41) 



42 FILLED HAXDS, 

mo date the rapidly increasing patronage. 
However, it was finished and they moved 
into it on the 19th day of May, 1887. From 
this time, under her skillful management, 
the school not only paid all expenses, in- 
cluding teachers' hire and for all needed 
furniture and repairs, but at the close of 
the year, paid a small sum into the treasury 
of the mission. 

The following year she enrolled forty- 
five boarding pupils and one hundred and 
five day pupils. The many discomforts 
and inconveniences that she suflfered in the 
old building only find expression in her 
words of thanks for the new^ To the 
Board she wTote : '' Thanks, a thousand 
thanks, and God's blessing to the w^omen 
and children of the church for these new 
J03^s and comforts." 

She began a night class for men in the 
spring of 1887 on " Dojima," this being 
one of the many small islands into which 
the city of Osaka is divided by the two 
rivers and numerous canals w^hich pass 
through it, all of these islands being thor- 
oughly connected by very good bridges. 
*'Jima" means island; '^Do," the name 
of this particular island, means home or 
temple. It is here that the governor has 



SCHOOL WORK. 4S 

his residence. It was a most promising 
field. She had a large number of pupils 
every night studying the Bible after English 
lessons. She was at this place the night that 
the school building was burned,on February 
8, 1888. She was not permitted to continue 
work at this place very long on account of 
the accumulation of school duties caused 
by the sickness and retirement of Miss 
Rezner from the school. 

There was a fine prospect for building 
up a good church at Dojima. The Baptists 
took it soon after Mrs. Drennan left and 
now have a church there as the outgrowth 
of her work. 

Mrs. Drennan lost everything by the 
fire, but she had many influential friends 
who secured her a home in the city where 
she lived as their guest without passport, 
and the next week after the fire she re- 
sumed her school work. 

By this fire the school was well adver- 
tised, so that they had more day pupils 
than before, and notwithstanding the great 
loss sustained and the want of room which 
compelled her to give up some of her board- 
ers, it was more than self-sustaining. She 
keptavStrict financial record of the school's 
standing. A part of this was burned, but 



44 FILLED HANDS. 

the following is an extract from her book, 
showing how S3^stematic and painstaking 
she was in all her aflfairs : 

''Before the Fire. — Boarding pupils, forty- 
five ; da}^ pupils, one hundred and five ; 
total, one hundred and fifty. Paid to Rev. 
J. D. Hail, treasurer of the mission, June, 
1888, $33.42. Four baptisms among the 
pupils during the year. The watch, my- 
self, and work society, an organization for 
children, did good work. Their contribu- 
tions were divided, one-half going to the 
Japanese Church, and the other half going 
to the Board to help start a school in Mex- 
ico. All who were connected with the 
society were converted, and through the 
children man}^ of the parents were also 
brought to Christ, A good collection ot 
books and maps had been sent to the 
school. Also some specimens for the be- 
ginning of a museum." 

'' In June, 1888, After the Fire.— Number 
of pupils, one hundred and twenty-six; 
number of boarding pupils, twenty-eight ; 
total, one hundred and fifty-four." 

Mrs. Drennan's school work in Osaka 
ended in 1888. Further information in re- 
gard to it is learned from O Yone San, 
Mrs. Drennan's helper and interpreter, 



SCHOOL WORK, 45 

who, after graduating at the American 
mission in June, came to Mrs. Drennan in 
January, 1885, ^^^ such has been the at- 
tachment and faithfulness of this Japanese 
woman, and so closely is her life inter- 
woven with that of Mrs. Drennan from 
this period, that she deserves especial men- 
tion, not only as an efficient helper, but as 
the constant companion and valued friend 
of her dear '* Sensie." 

The following extract is from a letter 
written by O Yone Hara San relative to 
the Wilmina School after having been with 
Mrs. Drennan more than ten years : 

" The school increased, but the house 
was too small to accommodate more, and 
'Sensie' emptied one of her rooms and 
made herself inconvenient and uncomfort- 
able till we had a new building. At this time 
there were forty-five boarding pupils and 
one hundred and five day pupils. When 
we moved into the new building, according 
to our custom, we invited the governor, 
mayor, officers of the government, and also 
their wives, who were her pupils. We had 
essays and speeches and singing in both 
languages. To most of the officers this 
was the first time they had ever attended 
the Christian school, and they were greatly 
pleased and impressed by the ceremon3\ 



46 FILLED HAXDS. 

As we had such an excellent teacher as 
Mrs. Drennan. our fame went out far and 
wide, and it was really the model of a 
Christian school. Sensie taught morning, 
afternoon, and night. I think there are only 
a few people who can work as much as she 
does. She was loved by ever\'body. I do 
not know whether there are others who 
are so highly honored and loved by the 
Japanese people as Sensie. The reason is, 
she loves the people and her whole heart 
is in her work. So her actions dififer from 
others. All say she is the most skillful 
Scripture interpreter. A great many times 
her teachings go out through preacher's 
sermons. I often hear people say she is 
the rarest among the missionaries. She 
does not think of anything but the Mas- 
ter's work. She spends all her money in 
her work, and her living is very simple, 
and sometimes I feel ven' sorry for her. 
The Lord has been so good to me in plac- 
ing me under her care. When I think of 
my privilege of working with her and 
learning so many useful lessons, I thank 
God for his goodness and in some measure 
desire to be like her, and to become a 
useful worker in his vineyard. 

'' YoNE Hara. 

'• Tsu Ise. Japan. 1S96." 



CHAPTER XIII. 

NKW CLASSES.— THK ORPHANAGE.— BVAN- 
GEIylSTlC WORK. 

In September, 1885, Mrs. Drennan or- 
ganized a woman's class. She first taught 
them English, cooking, and fancy work, 
but they soon became interested in Chris- 
tianity and came regularly for Bible 
study. They were chiefly the wives of 
officers. At first this class was small, but 
grew until it numbered forty. On New 
Year's day, 1887, Mr. Soto, who was presi- 
dent of the revenue department, came to 
thank her for teaching his wife, and the 
next week engaged her to teach in the rev- 
enue department office. She had thirty 
pupils among the officers of this depart- 
ment, Mr. Soto being among the number. 
They were all deeply interested in Chris- 
tianity. She taught them until the close 
of the school in 1888. Many of the wives 
of these officers joined the Cumberland 
Presbyterian Church in Osaka, and were 
(47) 



48 FILLED HANDS, 

faithful workers there until their husbands 
were moved by the goverment order to 
other places. 

One of the women became the wife of a 
high military officer just before the break- 
ing out of the war with China, and her 
name will go into history because of her 
noble Christian spirit manifested in her 
self-sacrificing work for the relief of the 
suffering and care for the poor during the 
war. 

Although it seemed that Mrs. Drennan's 
time was already fully occupied, her eager 
hands and great heart reached out to em- 
brace another work that bade fair to eclipse 
all that she had introduced in developing 
the Japanese in Christian charity. To 
this end it had long been her cheriwShed 
wish to establish an orphanage. It was to 
be supported by the married woman's class, 
numbering at this time thirty members. 
The women imbibed the enthusiasm of 
their teacher and worked eagerly, prepar- 
ing bedding and clothes for this purpose. 
They had put by a considerable sum of 
money and Mrs. Drennan had secured 
government permission, and thirteen or- 
phans were procured through legal chan- 
nels. She had the assurance of the 



NEW CLASSES, 49 

support and assistance of the best men in 
Osaka, who had been very kind, and who 
had proffered all the aid she needed in the 
enterprise. However, this work was 
deemed inexpedient by the Board and was 
abandoned. 

The accumulation of care and work, to- 
gether with crowded sleeping apartments 
and bad water caused her health to fail, 
and she was compelled to resign from the 
school. She went to Nagoya with her 
helper in October, 1888, where she engaged 
in direct evangelistic work. In Osaka she 
left a little church of thirty members, a 
preaching place well furnished, and thir- 
teen yen in bank. Five native preachers 
grew out of her work there. 

When about to leave Osaka, where she 
had spent five years, her many friends 
were in deep sorrow. O Yone San tells us 
that her pupils wept and begged her to 
stay. She says : '* Even the government 
officers sent for me to come, and when I 
went they told me to beg her to stay. 
When the time of her departure came their 
grief was great, and she received many 
kind letters of introduction from them to 
the chief secretary of state, house mayor, 
military officers, and others.** 
4 



CHAPTER XIV. 

WORK IN NAGOYA. 

At first there was great opposition to 
Christianity in this place, because the peo- 
ple thought it Roman Catholicism, which 
the government forbade them to believe, 
but Mrs. Drennan's earnest Christian life 
and tactful plan soon weakened the old prej- 
udice. She obtained permission to organ- 
ize a woman's school. This work began in 
November v/ith only two pupils, but she 
knew not discouragement, and very soon, 
through Bible classes for young men, and 
inquiry meetings for all, a little church 
grew, which was organized with ten mem- 
bers in January, 1889. 

In September of this year a very inter- 
esting girls' school was started, and the 
following December a boys' school was be- 
gun. It is perhaps worthy of mention that 
this work was carried on without foreign 
or missionary money. 
(50) 



V/ORK IN NAGOYA, 51 

A Christian Endeavor Society was or- 
ganized in April, 1888, and was called the 
Manna Society. About the seventh of 
March the president of the government 
school sent an urgent request to Mrs. Dren- 
nan to come to Yokhaich, a station about 
twenty miles from Nagoya. For years this 
had been a sealed city, the people saying 
no Christian should live there. Mrs. Dren- 
nan responded to the call. The result of 
this one visit was a class of ten names 
signed for Bible study. She made weekly 
visits until a preaching place was opened, 
and an earnest class of Bible students 
formed. Miss Rezner then took charge of 
the work. (See Annual Report, 1890, p. 21.) 

After the union of all the PrCvShyterian 
bodies in Japan it was thought best that 
Mrs. Drennan's little church of thirty mem- 
bers, which was now self-supporting, should 
unite with the other Presbyterians in Na- 
goya. Her school was also turned over to 
them, and Mrs. Drennan was transferred to 
Ueno, Igo, a city of 15,000 inhabitants in 
the interior of Japan. 

There was no Christian in the province 
of Igo. She willingly gave up her work 
so pleasantly started in Nagoya, and witli 
undaunted courage and unswerving faith 



52 FILLED HASDS, 

entered the uuknown field cheerfully, with 
only God and her helper for companions. 

She first selected an attractive location 
for her home, and nearby fitted up a room 
for a church, and immediately set about 
organizing Sunday schools, Bible classes, 
English teaching, and working classes. The 
people of Ueno did not know of Christian- 
ity, but they did know of Mrs. Drennan's 
aptness in teaching English, and that was 
what they wished. At this time the stud}' 
of English was quite popular among the 
upper classes oi Japanese. In response to 
their call she said to them : " I will teach 
you English, because through that I hope 
to be able to win you to listen to the teach- 
ings of the Bible." She said : " The Lord 
seemed to ask me what was in my hand. I 
said English only, and then it seemed he 
said to me : ' Use what thou hast.' " 

Her marvelous success is shown in the 
statement in the annual report that during 
the year there were thirty converts and 
other candidates for baptism. Her two 
boys, as she sometimes styled the young 
men who were the first fruits of her labors 
in Japan, and whom she had placed in 
school, gave her efficient help whenever 
they could get a day out of school. These 



WORK IN JSAGO YA. 53 

two young men, Kimmura San and Mat- 
suda San, were both studying for the 
ministry. 

Work was carried on in five other par:s 
of the city. In a letter to a friend she 
says : *' We are trying to aw^aken these peo- 
ple to a knowledge of Christ, so w^e have 
meetings and classes every night in the 
week, and a class every afternoon in Eng- 
lish, two work meetings, with knitting, 
crocheting, and fancy work, also Bible les- 
sons, singing and prayer." 

In September, 1891, with money sent her 
by two Kentuck}^ boys, she rented a house 
in the best part of the city, where the peo- 
ple were wealthy but hard to reach. She 
had a Sunday school there every Sabbath, 
and preaching every Saturday night, with 
a woman's meeting on Sunday afternoons. 
The interest grew, and in a few months 
some of the most influential men in high 
office were interested. It was at this point 
that she organized what she called her 
second church. It was named the Mu Ki- 
li-ma Church. Here the first infants were 
baptized in the city. A gentleman while 
studying the Confession of Faith prepara- 
tory to his own baptism noticed that infant 
baptism was allowed, and immediately 



54 FILLED LIAXDS, 

called on Mrs. Drennan for an explanation. 
After listening intent!}' he said: " Sensie, 
if 5'ou will allow I want my bab}^ baptized 
when its mother and I are ; I do not want 
a breath of sin to blow upon my darling 
baby. I will do all I can to train her up 
for God." To the faithful missionary it 
was indeed a blessed sight to see the little 
ones thus dedicated to God by believing 
parents. The oldest member of that church 
was eighty years old. 



CHAPTER XV. 

FIRST ANNUAI. WOMAN'S CONFERENCE IN 
JAPAN.— INCIDENTS. 

In May, 1892, the Christian women of 
Ueno united with Mrs. Drennan to hold 
the first annual woman's meeting. This 
was a remarkable meeting ; the Holy Spirit 
was present and helped those women so re- 
cently brought into light to speak and pray 
with great freedom and power. Mrs. Dren- 
nan, in speaking of the meeting, says: '* I 
wish that I could write you much that was 
said, their experience, their temptations, 
trials, and the opposition they have met 
with ; their joy in Christ, their new strength, 
hopes and aspirations, as expressed in this 
meeting One case I will write you, as it 

will serve as a sample As nearly as 

I can write the translation, she said a little 
over a year ago some one told her that a 
foreign woman had come into town to live 
here. She replied : * I wonder what the 
(55) 



56 FILLED HANDS, 

woman came here for, there is nothing for 
her to do here. No way to make money in 
this place. I don't know what brought her 
here anyhow.' All this in very contemptu- 
ous language and tone. Soon some one 
brought the news that the woman was a 
' Kristan,' and that her son often went to 
her house. At this she became very angry, 
and when her son came home in the eve- 
ning from his school she demanded of him 
why he went to that hated foreigner's house. 
Did he not know that he would bring dis- 
grace upon their family, and greatly offend 
all their relations ? He replied : ' She is a 
very kind lady and treats us all kindly. 
She is teaching English, and many of us 
are learning English from her,' etc. This 
seemed reasonable enough, but she felt she 
would rather he would never learn English 
than to get it that way. . . •. . At last he 
told her he w^as a Christian, and wished to 
be baptized and become a member of the 
church. With tears streaming down from 
her eyes she told us how rudely she had 
treated him and talked to him, to all of 
which he either made no reply or did it so 
kindly, so humbly, with no show of anger, 
that she was greatly puzzled to understand 
him. But she would not yield her point, 



INCIDENTS. 57 

but became even more severe in her re- 
bukes to him. He looked up with such a 
loving expression in his face and said: 
^ Mother, you do not understand this or 
you would not talk so. This is a good re- 
ligion. Please let me talk to you about it.' 
This made her very angry again and she or- 
dered him peremptorily to stop. He bowed 
his head and prayed so earnestly for her 
even while she still talked, that God would 
bless his mother and lead her to the light, 
etc. This, she said, cut her heart as with a 
knife, but she was too stubborn to yield. 
When he arose from prayer he went to 
church and was baptized that day. She 
greatly wondered at the change in him, but 
fretted day by day; as he returned from 
school she met him with reproachful words 
and tearful face. About this time he be- 
gan to study the Old Testament, so left his 
New Testament in his room when he went 
to school. She had been anxious to see 
what kind of a book it was he was study- 
ing so attentively, and carrying with him 
so carefully wherever he went, so when she 
found it on his table she at once began to 
read it. At night she and her husband to- 
gether read the wonderful book that made 
such a change in their son. Day by day 



58 FILLED HANDS. 

she read whenever she could stop a mo- 
ment from her work. Thus it was that the 
son found her reading it w^hile at her loom 
and had great joy in teaching her the words 
she did not understand, and the meaning 
of the passages she was reading. That 

week we had been praying for her 

Soon she had become so much changed in 
feeling that we could venture to visit her. 
Our Bible woman began to instruct her, 
and thus she became an earnest, zealous 
Christian. Her son was now preparing for 
the ministry. When she finished telling 
her story we were all weeping with her. 
She so humbly confessed her former ig- 
norance and sin, and so thankfully spoke 
of her new life in Christ. Many other 
stories quite as interesting I could relate, 
but this will serve to show you some of the 
joys of our first annual woman's meeting 
at Ueno. A. M. Drknnan. 

'*Ueno, Igo, Japan, May 24, 1892." 

One day an old man came to talk to Mrs, 
Drennan about Christianity. At the close 
of the conversation he said most patheti- 
cally : *' Oh, w^hy were they so long in bring- 
ing this good news to us ? If it had come 
a few years ago, I could have studied and 



INCIDENTS, 5? 

become a Christian, now it is too late." He 
was a good student, a fine classical Chinese 
scholar, and thought Christianity had to be 
studied as a new language ; but the sim- 
plicity of the gospel was explained to him 
so clearly that he was much comforted, and 
said he would come again to learn more 
of it. 

The people of this province were ex- 
tremely grateful to Mrs. Drennan for bring- 
ing the gospel to them. No one, they 
said, had thought it worth while before. 
On one occasion a man of eighty-two years 
had been kept from the Bible lesson for 
some time by a hurt received in a fall; 
when he had recovered sufficiently to walk 
he came eagerly to the old men's class, but 
before taking his seat he saw on the wall a 
cluster of Bible pictures that had been sent 
from the United States to Mrs. Drennan. 
She explained them to him, one by one, 
teaching in her own inimitable way the Bi- 
ble truths there represented ; tears filled 
the old man's eyes as he said : " When I do 
not hear for a long time, I grow hungry 
and weak, but I can think on these many 
days." Then he carefully wrote down 
what he had heard, so that when unable to 



60 FILLED HANDS. 

walk he could read and enjoy again the 
feast. These glimpses of her life reveal a 
few of the pleasant phases that make het 
work a labor of love, richly compensating 
for the toil and privations she has so un- 
complainingly borne. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

A TRIP TO IIIDA. 

In June, 1892, Matsuda San having grad- 
uated, he at once became pastor of the 
church at Ueno. Mrs. Drennan at her own 
expense had kept him in school six years. 
She was now relieved of the responsibility 
of the Ueno work. In a private letter she 
writes : '' It is a great joy to me to feel that 
God has allowed me to help prepare the 
worker and to see him duly settled in the 
work. The past six years have been years 
of toil and anxious waiting, but God has 
permitted me to see the consummation of 
my wishes, for which I do most humbly 
thank him." 

She had grown so tired with the long 
strain on her mind and nerves that she 
promised herself a good long rest as soon 
as the new pastor came. But as the burden 
of Ueno was removed, a great anxiety for 
the opening of a distant province came in- 

(61) 



62 FILLED HANDS. 

to her heart. It was so difficult of access 
that for a long time she was dissuaded 
from the attempt, but when the other mis- 
sionaries started to the mountains for rest 
she and her helper secured passports and 
started for the province of Hida. It was 
three days' travel by jinrickisha after leav- 
ing the railroad to the capital of the prov- 
ince, Ivokyama, and they were detained four 
days in the mountains by the breaking of 
O Yone San's jinrickisha. The day that 
she was sixty-two years old, July 23, 1892, 
Mrs. Drennan v/alked much of the w^ay up 
the steep mountain side in the rain ; there 
were frequent earthquakes preceded by 
portentous rumblings, and ending in terri- 
ble explosions, but there was no fear in 
her heart. She says that the air was so 
pure that she felt strong and young and she 
could not realize that she was sixty-two 
years old. She adds : ** It never seemed 
hard to me, because at the end of my 
journey lay a great city of 25,000 people 
who had never heard of Christ, the center 
of a population of two millions." Surely 
it was God with her who put courage into 
her heart, as this alone could have enabled 
her to fearlessly, even joyously, trudge the 
trembling mountain side, fearing no evil. 



A TRIP TO HI DA. 63 

She found the people intelligent and 
kind. She was the only foreign woman 
who had ever been in this province, and al- 
though the people were very curious they 
were never uncivil. The chief of police 
sent an escort with her when she wished to 
go out on the streets lest she might receive 
rudeness. They seemed to think she had 
greatly honored them by her visit. Even 
the Roman Catholics had never reached 
this point, and to her it seemed a much 
neglected but important field. She ex- 
pected to remain there one month looking 
over the field, and was willing to be used 
there if God so directed, but very soon 
news came of sickness in the church at 
Ueno. The young pastor had been called 
away to see his mother who was dying, so 
without having time to rest from her 
journey she was compelled to return to 
Ueno, feeling that the duty lying nearest 
now was to comfort her troubled people at 
home. 

The result of this visit to lyokyama is 
seen in the establishment of a mission there 
by the Episcopal Church, the Cumberland 
Presbyterian Church not feeling able to un- 
dertake the work at this time. 

She returned to Ueno, taking up the 



64 FILLED HANDS. 

work there in the absence of Matsuda San, 
There were now twelve places for holding- 
service in that city and a church of sixty 
members. The preachers there were Mat- 
suda San, Ohira, and a licentiate. In Sep- 
tember, 1893, ^tie began w^ork at Tsu, the 
capital of the province of Ise. She placed 
Mr Kimura in charge of the work at Tsu, 
while she divided her time, spending half 
here and half at Ueno. These cities were 
sixty miles apart. When at Tsu she slept 
and ate in Japanese fashion, and had no 
fire in her room ; the winter was intensely 
cold and the frequent changes gave her 
cold, but she kept up this alternating every 
two weeks until the last of January, when 
she was compelled to go to Kioto for treat- 
ment. She had spent three years in Ueno, 
and during that time sixty persons had em- 
braced Christianity. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

SICKNESS. — CAI.I, TO AMERICA. — LETTER 
FROM ONE OF HER BOYS. 

Mrs. Drennan remained in Kioto until 
March, when she returned to her home, so 
feeble that her physicians wrote a letter 
recommending that she go to her native 
shores for health. The Board wrote her 
that the time was at hand for her return. 
Very soon a letter came from Mrs. Dren- 
nan saying that she was fully restored, she 
believed, in answer to prayer. Writing to 
a friend at this time she said: ''Home, 
friends, and native land, so near in sight, 
seem indeed sweet to think of, but not half 
so sweet as the joy of the work here. I 
can do so little for the Master, but that 
little is so good to me." 

Below is a letter written at this time by 
one of her boys to her American friends : 

"You all want to see Mrs. Drennan. We 
are glad to know your loving hearts and 
(65)— 5 



66 FILLED HANDS, 

kind words and wishes for our dear sister. 
Indeed, she has worked as hard as a Chris- 
tian heroine these ten years. Every day is 
full of her beautiful words and noble deeds. 
Our present Japan needs such missionaries 
ever so much. Dear sisters, her country is 
now Japan, not America. We are her 
boys and girls. She must die among us 
when the Lord calls her. If we should 
miss our dear mother in this critical mo- 
ment, what should we do alone? Dear sis- 
ters, please do not call her again, and let 
us take good care of her in Japan. 

" Yours in Christ, 

''S. KiMURA." 

Mrs. Drennan's work was really not in a 
condition that she could with propriety 
leave it at this time. There were four girls 
w^iose support had been promised by soci- 
eties in America, but for some reason had 
been given up. These she could not turn, 
out into the world uncared for, so she kept 
lip their support herself. Writing to a 
friend she said : ** I did not see how I could 
leave the work at this time, so much just 
begun, and my girls unprovided for. It is 
necessary that I help them into situations 
before I leave them, and I am truly grate- 
ful that I need not go this spring." 



SICKNESS. 67 

She planned a S37stem of village work to 
be carried out by her own women, so that 
every village in Ise was to be visited and 
work established wherever there was an 
opening. As the work was well organized 
at Ueno she moved to Tsu in January, 
1893, where her life represents the same 
busy line of teaching, visiting, and holding 
religious service. But with all this, she 
found time to write letters of instruction 
weekly to the women of the church at 
Ueno, and through the Bible class women 
there, kept up the work among the women. 

There was much opposition to Christian- 
ity at this place also. Children who at- 
tended the Sunday school were threatened 
by the priests, and degraded in their classes 
and made the, butt of ridicule until driven 
from the school. Notwithstanding the 
work was so difficult, in a few months she 
had established a flourishing church. There 
are so many openings where work could 
be started that she wrote the Board : *' I 
wish we had a dozen workers, real workers, 
to come this spring." 

The physical condition of Mrs. Drennan 
later on made a return to America impera- 
tive. In July, just before leaving Tsu, she 
wrote that she had succeeded in havinqr all 



68 FILLED HANDS, 

lier girls provided for during her absence, 
and also had arranged her work so that it 
need not suffer. So pleasantly and per- 
fectly had Providence overruled her affairs 
that she could come home without a 
care ; even little Daisy was satisfactorily 
provided for, and she entered upon a jour- 
ney home with a mind at rest, but so w^eary 
in body that she could scarcely walk from 
her jinrickisha to the end of the wharf 
where she took a little boat to go to the 
ship. She speaks of the voyage as de- 
lightfully restful ; and, indeed, this was the 
only rest she experienced during her visit. 
After her arrival in America she was going 
continually, and speaking at least once a 
week during the time vshe was in the home 
land. She visited thirty-three towns in 
eleven different States. 

She left Japan on August 5, 1893, on the 
steamer Peking, and reached Pueblo, CoL, 
August 31, where she remained a few days 
with her sister ; then she came to Missouri, 
spending a short time with her brother, 
before hastening to Franklin, Ky., that she 
might see her aged sister before her death. 
She remained in the United States until 
August, 1894, making just one year's ab- 
sence from Japan. 



1 



SICKNESS, 69 

It is impossible to estimate the good re- 
sulting from her stay in the home land, 3'et 
none knew how much she suffered or how 
much she needed rest. In speaking of it 
she says : '' I think of my visit home as one 
weary, restless seeking after rest. When 
I went to a place I longed for the privilege 
of a quiet bed. I wonder what kind of 
talks I made and why all listened to me so 
patiently. I wonder also how it was that 
when so weary I could scarcely keep up, I 
would forget it all as soon as I was talking, 
and could talk for hours ; and how it was 
that, notwithstanding I had no rest, I came 
back to Japan strong and well. But, oh, 
I am so thankful to our dear heavenly 
Father for this blessing, for there is so 
much to do here.'* 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

RETURN TO JAPAN. 

Mrs. Drennan was accompanied to Japan 
by Mrs. Lyon and Miss Alexander. Dur- 
ing the voyage there was a fearful storm ; 
no one could stand in the ship at times. 
On one of these occasions, w^hen it was in 
great danger of being wrecked, Mrs. Dren- 
nan fell, striking her side on the edge of a 
cot. This hurt has given her trouble since 
that time, but she never complained, even 
to her relatives. 

Mrs. Lyon wrote soon after reaching 
Japan : " It would have done your hearts 
good to have seen how gladly they wel- 
comed Mrs. Drennan back. There was 
quite a large company at the depot waiting 
for her, and they all came home with us. 
They had lunch and tea and cakes, and 
made speeches of welcome, which I could 
not understand, but their countenances 
told me they were glad to have her back.'' 



RETURN ro JAPAN, 71 

After Mrs. Drennan returned to Japan 
she found the young church at Tsu in 
great need of help. The people were will- 
ing but ignorant of how to carry on the 
work. They realized and expressed their 
helplessness to her by saying : '' We have 
been stretching our necks along time, Sen- 
sie, hoping to see you come.'* It was a 
great pleasure to her to lead them out of 
their trouble back into the work they had 
learned to love so well. 

The Ueno church had also suffered dur- 
ing her absence ; but very soon she se- 
cured the services of a good native preach- 
er for the church at Tsu, and an excellent 
young man was placed at Ueno. He was 
the first convert at this place. The story 
of his conversion is interesting, and is 
taken from an article written by Mrs. Dren- 
nan for the Missionary Record, of ApriU 
1891 : 

** Some of you heard me while in the 
United States tell how this young man 
and a companion agreed to examine the 
different religions until they found one 
to satisfy the longing of their hearts, and 
how he came into my English class soon 
after my arrival at Ueno, and vStudied the 
Bible until he was finally baptized in Jan- 



72 FILLED HANDS. 

tiar}^ 1 89 1. From that time he has been a 
faithful worker in the church. He has 
taught in the same school twelve years, 
and is one of their best and most popular 
teachers. 

'' He felt that he ought to be a lay evan- 
gelist among his people. But he was the 
adopted son of an old lady who had been 
very good to him. She was too old to be 
left alone, and was not willing to stay with 
some hired person ; so he waited for the 
Lord to open the way for him. Last year 
the old lady asked him to marry. He said 
she might pick him a suitable wife, and the 
only request he made was that the girl 
should become a Christian. Now he is 
happily married, and the old lady is devoted 
to her new daughter, who is preparing for 
admission into the church, her husband 
having taught her Christianity. 

'' During my stay in Ueno this young 
man came to me and told me this story at 
some length, saying that now there was 
nothing in his way and he would put on his 
sandals and go from village to village 
teaching his countrymen. I asked him if 
he was willing to take up such work, spend- 
ing not more than one day in seven at 
home. I laid the duties and diflficulties of 



RETURN TO JAPAN. 73 

such a calling before him, and told him to 
think it over until the next day. In 
the meantime it was made plain to my own 
heart that his call was from the lyord. The 
next day he came to me, humble, calm and 
composed, and told me of the joy that 
filled his heart and of his settled purpose 
to give his life to this work. 

'' In the absence of any regularly con- 
stituted authority, we held a sort of conse- 
cration meeting around our little brazier 
of coals. O Yone San and I bowed our 
heads to the floor along with him, and each 
of us plead that the Holy Spirit might lead 
and guide him in his work. 

" This young man is succeeding well at 
Ueno, but needs help and advice, so I still 
give half my time to that church." 



CHAPTER XIX. 

BIBLK TRAINING SCHOOI. — DUTIES OF A 
BIBI.K WOMAN. 

As soon as she was partially relieved of 
the care of these two churches she went to 
Shiroko, a town of nine or ten thousand 
inhabitants, twelve miles away, where no 
Christian work had ever been done, and 
where no foreign woman had ever been 
seen. There she rented a chapel, fitted it 
up, and left a young man in charge of the 
work. She also speaks of a mission point 
in the city of Tsu, and a reading room for 
young men that was kept open every night 
and afternoon, and children's meetings one 
night in the week. Every moment seemed 
full of work, yet, with the assistance of 
Mrs. Lyon, the Bible Training School was 
opened, Mrs. Drennan spending three 
hours each day teaching a Bible lesson, 
which is repeated many times by the Bible 
women as they go from house to house. 
Their method of work is shown in the fol- 
lowing extract : 
(74) 



BIBLE TRAINING SCHOOL. 75 

'* These Bible women will go into any 
house where they are allowed an en- 
trance, and ask to be permitted to read a 
little from the book they have brought 
with them. They seat themselves and 
open their Bibles while the women of the 
house gather around, with curiosity, rather 
than interest. As the Bible woman reads 
some passages from the life of Christ, and 
explains who this person is of whom they 
are reading, curiosity often changes to 
eager interest, and when she rises to go 
she will have secured one or more pupils 
from among her audience. The new pu- 
pils' names are entered upon our lists, and 
the Bible woman or her assistant goes ev- 
ery da}^, or as frequently as the number of 
her pupils will permit, to teach them to 
read. This means not merely to read the 
first book, for from the beginning the 
wom.en understand that they are to learn 
verses from the Scriptures, and when they 
can read sufficiently well are to read from 
the Bible itself. Every visit gives the Bi- 
ble woman an opportunity to speak of 
Christ, and not only the women who are 
studying, but many others from the street 
and neighboring houses, gather to hear her 
read and explain the Scriptures. The 



76 FILLED HANDS, 

women under their care vary greatly in 
their capacity for study. Some will learn 
rapidly, memorizing verses and hymns with 
apparent ease. Some will spend months 
in learning one verse, and seem utterly un- 
able to grasp the meaning of what they 
hear. The work is often laborious but the 
Bible women are working in nearly all 
cases with earnestness, and some are car- 
rying enthusiasm into all they do. Add to 
the work here described regular weekly 
visits of instruction and encouragement to 
the Christian women, and weekly meet- 
ings with them for Bible study and prayer, 
visits to the sick and inquiring, and you 
will see what is the work of a busy and 
consecrated Bible woman. 

''Great care is exercised by Mrs. Dren- 
nan in the selection of pupils for workers ; 
many of them are unable to furnish the 
clothing and books they need. Rents fall 
due regularly, and books and room fur- 
nishings are needed, all of which require 
money. Mrs. Drennan has never asked 
the Board for assistance in meeting the ex- 
penses, and when there is a deficit in the 
fund she supplies from her own salary 
whatever is lacking." (Missionary Record, 
1895.) 



CHAPTER XX. 

I.KTTKR FROM MR. BANNO. 

Mr. Banno, the pastor of the church at 
Tsu, learned through O Yone San, Mrs. 
Drennan's helper, that a history of Mrs. 
Drennan's work in Japan was being pre- 
pared in America. He at once became in- 
terested, and expressed a wish to add 
something to this history. The following 
is an extract from his letter, translated by 
O Yone San, and sent over for this purpose, 
and will add much to the interest of these 
pages : 

'* I heard you are going to write a histo- 
ry of Mrs. Drennan, and I would like to 
present in a few lines what I see and hear 
about her daily. 

'' Eight years ago I met her for the first 
time in Nagoya, the fourth city in Japan. 
At that time I was preaching in that city, 
and about that time she came with Hara O 
Yone San, for the purpose of evangelistic 
work. They were stopping in one of the 
(77) 



78 FILLED HANDS, 

"hotels. I went to see her with one of my 
friends, and during the few minutes' con- 
versation I was greatly impressed by her 
noble manner, and made to honor and love 
her. 

'' On account of her being ver}^ careful 
and skillful in association, our people honor 
and love her, so that is no small help to our 
work. 

''After consultation with her I went to 
Tsu last April, and now I am working with 
her in this cit}^ where she has organized a 
band of Christians. 

'' I highly respect and love her noble 
manner, but without any hesitancy I will 
criticise. She has very penetrating eyes, 
so she is ver}^ skillful in understanding 
people, and at the same time she is in 
sympathy, so she loves to educate young 
men and women, and tried to educate prom- 
ising young people. There are numbers 
of young people who have received help in 
education by her kindness, who are now 
engaged in educational work. She has a 
special attraction that I do not understand, 
and draws everybody who comes in con- 
tact with her. 

''If our evangelistic work is pressed on 
with her faith and knowledge surely it 



LETTER FROM MR. BANNO, 79 

will be a great benefit to our nation, and 
certainly we can wait for the time of suc- 
cess. I hope to unite and work with her 
as long as possible and do the service of 
the Master, and not myself only, but with- 
out any doubt I fully believe that every 
one who is associated with her will feel the 
same. Kaichi Banno. 

'' 1896, Dec, Ise, Tsu, Japan.'' 



CHAPTER XXI. 

the work at shiroko — the old 
woman's class. 

The work at Shiroko met with much 
opposition from the priests, who became 
jealous of these " Kristans," aud influenced 
the people to refuse to rent them a preach- 
ing place. The young pastor sent a letter 
to Mrs. Drennan, informing her of the 
trouble. She was then at Ueno, fifty miles 
awa3\ She immediately returned to Tsu 
and started with her helper and three other 
girls to go the additional ten miles in jin- 
rikisha. They took with them the baby 
organ. The six jinrikishas required for 
this party made quite a procession, and 
attracted a good deal of attention in the 
cit}^ ; and when they reached the preaching 
place where they were to hold service the 
last time, a great crowd had gathered, fill- 
ing the house and 3'ard, even extending 
far out into the street. Here they quietly 
l80) 



> 

!^ 

O 
O 
:^ 

(/} 

a 



> 

n 

o 
o 




• THE WORK AT SHIROKO, 81 

Stood through two sermons, with the at> 
tending songs and prayers. Our mission- 
ary and her helpers all felt that they were 
doing their last work at that place, and 
must do it well. They were not left long 
in doubt as to good results from this meet- 
ing. Very early next morning a man called 
to offer them a preaching place in another 
part of the city. Thus their faithfulness 
was rewarded, and they thanked God and 
took courage. 

After re-establishing their young pastor 
over his charge, Mrs. Drennan returned 
the same day to Tsu in time for her regu- 
lar work for that day. Her work at Tsu 
consisted of women's meetings; w^eekly 
meetings at home for those who would not 
attend church ; Sabbath schools, morning 
and afternoon ; morning and night preach- 
ing on Sabbath ; ChrivStian Endeavor So- 
ciety, and Bible woman's class each day. 

At this time (September, 1896), she 
writes : '' Our church members are all do- 
ing what they can, an earnest, praying 
band, all so busy that when one is brought 
in it is difficult to tell through whose in- 
strumentality, as all have given a helping" 
hand. We are praying, hoping, and wait- 
ing for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit 
6 



S2 FILLED HANDS. 

upon tliis whole province. There have 
been three additions to the church recent- 
ly, and there are now ten applicants." 

If it could be said of our home churches 
that all are doing w^hat the^^ can, they, too, 
might confidently expect an outpouring of 
the Spirit. 

One of the most interesting societies, 
barely mentioned heretofore, is the old 
woman's class, where none under fifty 
years old are admitted. They meet with 
Mrs. Drennan once each week for Bible 
study and prayer. Sometimes they turn it 
into an experience meeting, and those who 
are already Christians try to tell others of 
their joy, and to lead them to Christ. One 
very old woman, w^ho is dependent upon 
lier grandson for support, was forbidden by 
him to attend these meetings, but she 
longed to hear more of the good news and 
ventured again to meet with them. One 
after another gave her instruction and told 
her of a joy and hope to which she was a 
stranger. In a plaintive manner she said 
it seemed too great a blessing for her to 
presume to enjoy. '' When her grandson's 
anger cooled, she said, she w^ould come 
again." Her old, eager face can be seen 
in the picture of the old w^oman's class. 



THE WORK AT SHIROKO. 83 

An old man, ninety years old, came to 
Mrs. Drennau one day and said, " I am 
growing old, most of my friends are gone, 
my time is short (he was measuring a very 
small part of the first finger to illustrate). 
I look beyond this short space, and it seems 
fearfully dark. I called on my priest but 
he could give me no light. I have come 
to ask what your religion tells you about 
what is to come after death." These in- 
stances of persons grown old in darkness, 
blindly seeking after light, afford opportu- 
nities outside of regular work for the de- 
voted missionary to lift the veil and point 
to the One in whom we live and have our 
being. To Mrs. Drennan it is constant 
cause for rejoicing that there are so many 
open doors, and that the Lord has given 
her so much to do for him. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

A I.ITTI.K GIRL RKSCUKD. 

In the fall of 1896, one day in her round 
of work Mrs. Drennan found a family con- 
sisting of a mother, two sons and three 
daughters, all very old and very poor peo- 
ple. The mother was over ninetj^ 3'ears 
old, and the youngest member of the fam- 
ily was over fifty. One was a confirmed in- 
valid. They all lived in a little hut six by 
nine feet, without a floor and wnth but lit- 
tle roof; an old matting furnished them 
seats by day and beds by night, and also 
covering for the sick one ; winter was com- 
ing on, the rainy season had already begun ; 
into this miserable comfortless home Mrs. 
Drennan came. All the w^retchedness and 
misery of the gloomy picture her quick eye 
noted as it glanced around the hut and rested 
most pityingly upon the one bright spot 
there — a beautiful little girl, not six 3^ears 
old. The child, bright and winning, seemed 
strangely out of place in that mass of de- 

(84) 



A LITTLE GIRL RESCUED. 85 

crepit humanity that filled the hut. By 
skillful questioning our missionary learned 
that these people had given the child a 
home, not from any feeling of pity or ben- 
evolence toward the little wanderer, but 
with the monstrous design of selling her to 
a life of sin, and thus get gain for them- 
selves. With the aid of the chief of police, 
Mrs. Drennan secured the child, whom 
she adopted. The old people were well 
satisfied that they had found so liberal a 
purchaser, whose bounty placed them in a 
more comfortable position perhaps than 
they had ever before experienced. By in- 
quiry it was found that the child's father 
died when she was an infant, leaving noth- 
ing to support his wife and child, and the 
young mother, having no relations to help 
her, felt the burden too great and gave her 
baby to two old people who were childless 
and wished someone to inherit their prop- 
erty, keep up the family name, and care for 
them in old age. After two years they died. 
Unexpected heirs claimed the property and 
turned the child of three years out on the 
streets. There she existed, often hungry 
and poorly clad, until taken up b}^ these 
people in the hut. The mother had gone 
to Tokio, but no one knew her fate. The 



86 FILLED HANDS. 

little maid did not know her name, and is 
called by her preserver Faith, because, she 
writes, *' I have taken her in faith that God 
will help me guide her in the right path. 
She is remarkably bright, and will make a 
useful woman if trained properly." 

In December, 1897, when she had been 
with Mrs. Drennan little more than one 
year, she was able to take part in the Christ- 
mas exercises, and with other little chil- 
dren sang distinctly manj^ hymns in Eng- 
lish. Her aptness to learn and her polite 
manners and correct speaking, so easily ac- 
quired, indicate to those about her that she 
is of no mean origin, and that the little 
waif is destined to become a great as well 
as a good woman under the tutelage of her 
adopted mother. Who knows but that God 
in his infinite wisdom and mercy may have 
preserved this child for the special work of 
saving other girls of her country, many of 
whom are exposed to the same danger from 
which she was rescued? Will not all who 
read these pages pause here and offer an 
earnest prayer to God for little Faith and 
for Mrs. Drennan that she may be spared 
to guide the little girl in the right path and 
fit her for whatever work God would have 
her do ? 



A LITTLE GIRL RESCUED. 87 

In the following recent letter from Mrs, 
Drennan the great need of rescue work \9» 
recognized, and it seems that she has al- 
ready laid plans for this end. She says, "I 
told 3^ou that I wanted to add an industrial 
department to our school. I have tried it 
on a small scale. The excessive hard times 
make a school of this kind more desirable, 
as so many poor girls will be driven to lives 
of shame from absolute want of the means 
of support. I can do but little in that way, 
but I think a school could easily be made 
self-supporting after the first outlay for ma- 
terials to v/ork upon and machinery and 
perhaps an additional rent for a few rooms, 
all costing very little." 

The latest news concerning the the child 
Faith was written in. May, 1899, ^^^ will be 
read with interest : 

" Faith is studying hard — English and 
Japanese ; is counted exceptionally good 
in Japanese penmanship. I have some 
little chickens which she dearly loves to 
feed and tend, so is out there now. She 
sews remarkably well for a child of her age 
and can knit her own stockings, putting on 
the stitches, setting the heel and all, which 
I think right well for her. She sweeps the 
yard about my door every morning and 



88 FILLED HANDS. 

does many other helpful things. She was 
greatly delighted with Miss Fanny's letter, 
and would talk an endless lot of things if I 
would only suggest to her that I now have 
time to wTite a letter for her. I will take 
time for that before long. Tell Fanny, 
meanwhile, I will say she is an untiring chat- 
terbox. My ears are often tired, but I am 
tr3ang to guide this into useful channels, 
and even this may be a golden talent to her 
some day. The old people who had her 
have troubled me a good deal with 
their threats to take her away from me. 
I thought it only meant a demand for 
money; so I paid no attention to it. At 
last they sent me word that I must send 
her home by a certain day, or else I must 
pay them two hundred dollars. I sent them 
word that they could come and take her 
whenever they pleased, but they would be 
compelled to pay me all expense for keep- 
ing and clothing her, which would be near- 
ly or over one hundred dollars. They must 
bring the money with them, and then they 
could take her. This was a new turn in af- 
fairs unlcoked for ; so I heard no more from 
them for some time. Last week they sent 
me word that they would no more ask me 
to send her back to them, they would let 



A LITTLE GIRL RESCUED, 89 

me keep her, but they asked me to send her 
out see them on the 20th of this month, as 
that is the anniversary of the death of her 
adopted father. I do not know whether 
they will try to keep her by stealth or not. 
She cries every time we speak of sending 
her out, and it will be difficult for them to 
keep her, I know. My faith is in God and 
I trust all in his hands/* 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE WORK AS CARRIED ON AT PRESENT, 

There are five Sunday schools in and 
near Tsu. These are taught by the women 
of the Bible Training School, but they are 
all superintended by Mrs. Drennan, who at 
Christmas time arranged suitable exercises 
for each school, and drilled the children, 
without giving up any regular work hour 
for the practice. These occasions she em- 
phasized for the sake of the children, who, 
until she came to them, had never heard 
the story of the Christ child, had never had 
a Christmas, and also to impress Christian- 
ity upon the many grown people who 
would come to no other but children's 
meetings. 

The Sunday school work met with con- 
stant opposition, not only from the priests, 
but from the public school teachers, who 
forbade their pupils to attend on penalty of 
dismissal from the government school. By 

(90) 



o 

o 
> 

c 



< 

o 




THE PRESENT WORK. 91 

this the attendance was so reduced that in 
1897 t^^ fi^'^ schools averaged only 163 
pupils. Mrs. Drennan's annual report of 
this year tells of four graduates from the 
girls' school, three of whom by an impres- 
sive ceremony were set apart to the work 
of Bible women. 

The work at Shiroko and Ueno, towns 
four miles apart and ten miles from Tsu, is 
kept up partly by these women. They 
walk ten miles to Shiroko Friday, help 
that work until after morning Sunday 
school, then come on to Ueno, where they 
hold an afternoon Sunday school, after 
which they return to Tsu, where they at- 
tend evening service. There is a native 
preacher for these towns who also preaches 
at Kobe. Many other villages have been 
visited and tracts distributed in Ise as w^ell 
as in Igo, where the Bible woDien with Mrs. 
Drennan have introduced house to house 
visiting and teaching. She says, ''Our peo- 
ple are making an effort to become self- 
sustaining ; they pay the incidental expen- 
ses, presbyterial and synodic dues and also 
something on pastor's salary. The church 
at Ueno, Igo, pays for the rent of a preach- 
ing place in a village near by ; thus in a 
small Vv^ay they are doing mission work. 



92 FILLED HANDS, 

'' In addition to the old woman's meeting, 
we have monthly meetings at four places 
for women, besides two work meetings each 
month to make money for church work; 
all of this work must be guided as God 
gives strength and wisdom. During the 
year we have distributed twelve thousand 
tracts. I with my helper visited nearly 
every jinrickisha stand in Tsu. We talked 
with the men and gave them tracts written 
expressly for jinrickisha men. The two 
who went with us became deeply interested 
and have since been attentive Bible stu- 
dents. Mr. Banno gave magic lantern lec- 
tures to the jinrickisha men. We expect 
soon to begin special work with the police- 
men. I teach English one hour each after- 
noon and a Bible lesson for men every 
Wednesday evening. 

'' Our annual woman's meeting was held 
in Tsu in April. There were delegates from 
almost every place in this Ken. Our sub- 
ject for discussion was ' Christ and his love 
for us, and how we may become more like 
him in our daily lives.' One old woman 
67 years old walked ten miles to attend this 
meeting. The earnest prayer and humble 
confessions of those present attest their 
sincere desire to do something for the Mas- 



THE PRESENT WORK. 93 

ter, not only as a duty, but as a privi- 
lege.'^ 

In addition to the evangelistic and edu- 
cational work mentioned in this lengthy 
report, Mrs. Drennan prepared reports to 
be sent to the mission, the board, the coun- 
cil, and to presbytery, also to societies in 
the home land and to individuals helping 
to support girls or in any other way assist- 
ing the work. 

To attempt to enumerate the many sides 
to this work is useless, and it seems impos- 
sible for one woman to accomplish so much. 

The following from her report to the 
Board of Missions in 1895 tells something 
of its extent : '' To sum up, I attend and su- 
perintend twelve weekl}^ five monthly, two 
semi-monthly, in all nineteen meetings 
each month, with the prospect shortly of 
opening work in two other towns, this in 
addition to Bible Training School, home 
duties, and, general oversight of all the 
woman's work." 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

HOW SUPPORTED — NKW WORK. 

It is due to Rev. E. E. Morris and the 
church in Marshall, Mo., to state in this 
history that this congregation, with the 
consent of the Board of Missions, under- 
took the support of Mrs. Drennan after her 
return to Japan, with the understanding 
that all the money contributed by the 
Woman's Auxiliary and Junior Christian 
Endeavor Society should be sent through 
the Woman's Board, and that the contribu- 
tions by the congregation, Senior Endeavor 
and Sunday school should be sent through 
the Assembly's Board. The pastor's idea 
was to increase the offering from his peo- 
ple by placing before them as a special 
object the support of one well-known and 
much beloved of them. While their offer- 
ings at first fell far below the amount de- 
sired, it has gradually increased, and shows 
to what extent a people may be educated 
(94) 



HO W SUPPOR TED. 95 

in the matter of giving. * First year, $465.28 
('95); second year, $515-30 ('96); third 
year, $592.10 ('97). 

Mr. Morris states that they had never yet 
quite reached the mark of $600, but hoped 
to do so the year 1898, the date of the letter 
from which these items have been taken. 

Mrs. Drennan, seeing as those in the 
home land cannot see, the importance of 
continuing work once started in Japan, in 
order to keep the work and workers going, 
has been compelled to use most of the little 
store laid up for old age or for a time when 
she could not work. When an urgent need 
came she would send to America and draw 
from the deposit there until at last she 
wrote a friend : '' It will soon be all gone; 
then when I am disabled you friends will 
have to take care of me." 

In the annual report of 1898, she writes 
to the Woman's Board as follows : '' Our 
work is enlarging. I must employ another 
preacher to fill a broad opening now 
stretching out before us on the railroad as 
we go to Ueno. We have no money in the 
treasury, but it must be done in His name 
and for his vSake. TrUvSting in him I will 
do it, though I know not where one dollar 
of the money will come from. The boards 



96 FILLED HAXDS, 

have so much restricted our amounts that 
I must go beyond allowance or restrict the 
work. This I cannot do ; would rather be 
called home than contract my work. How 
can I be still and see these people going 
with rapid strides to eternity? " 

In the year 1898 the Woman's Christian 
Temperance Union work was introduced 
and a society organized with twenty mem- 
bers. These meetings are held on Friday 
of each week in the school room. 

Perhaps the most important new work 
started this year is the tent work. Mrs. 
Drennan had for some time greatly desired 
to try this in order to reach the multitude 
who could not be induced to come to 
church. It was at length made possible by 
gifts sent hei from friends in the United 
States to be used for her personal comfort. 
She wrote back that she had all she need- 
ed, that a vacation was unnecessary, and 
that her heart was set on the tent meetings. 
In September this work was begun, wnth 
Mr. Banno preaching and distributing tracts 
to large audiences in Ueno. The experi- 
ment was altogether satisfactory. She 
writes, *' My heart bounds at the thought 
of such w^ork in this hard field. I ma}^ 
have trouble and opposition by Buddhist 



HOW SUPPORTED, 97 

priests; every aggressive movement calls 
for new evidences of ill will ; our church is 
sometimes stoned, girls reviled, and stones 
and insulting words cast as any of us ga 
out. When the police is notified this is 
stopped for awhile, but any enlargement of 
our work provokes new opposition ; so we 
expect trouble when we open our tent 
here (Tsu). However, we will do it in the 
name of the Lord, and in his name try 
to teach the multitudes who w^e are sure 
will come through curiosity. May God, 
by his Holy Spirit, teach many who 
hear." 

In trying to comprehend this wonderful 
woman, it is difficult to decide what phase of 
the work she regarded the most prominent. 
She seems first to have made a specialty of 
helping young men and women who w^ould 
soon wield an influence over their country- 
men ; again her energies seem to be direct- 
ed to the highest officials, and many promi- 
nent men through her eff"orts are brought 
to embrace Christianity. Then she is found 
diligently teaching old women, and her 
deepest sympathy seems given here. Again, 
the Bible women, the jinrickisha men, the 
little children all share alike, it would 
seem, in her great heart and mind. 
7 



98 FILLED HANDS. 

Then when she is thought of as a busy 
housewife, the keeper of a boarding school, 
the adopted mother of two girls, and with- 
al an evangelist with a circuit embracing 
many miles, wonder is almost lost in in- 
credulity. The little garden spot near her 
door testifies to her unremittent care and 
shows that she still cherishes a love for the 
beautiful in nature. From her own vines 
the sweet wine is made for communion. 
She is so careful of her people that not one 
drop of fermented wine wall she permit to 
to be used at the Lord's Supper. 

Her consecration does not exempt her 
from trying ordeals. Indeed, many great 
sorrows come to this devoted servant of 
the Lord. Very recently her only brother 
died ; surely the dear Lord who wept with 
Martha and Mary sorrowed no less with 
this sister in her lonely grief when she re- 
ceived the sad news of the death of this 
loved one, the last of her family. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

INTERESTING I^ETTER — TRIP TO SHIMA. 

A letter from her written to a friend soon 
after the news of this event evinces the 
fact that earnestness in Christian work does 
not weaken the ties of kinship, and that 
the missionary no less than others, feels the 
loss of relatives, and needs the sympathy 
of friends. 

''Tsu IsE, Japan. 

*'My Dear Friend: — To-night in looking 
over a package of unanswered letters I am 
surprised to find one from you. Frequent 
changes caused by my trips to Ueno and 
other points prevent my answering letters 
as I should do. 

'%ast year was a hard, hard year with 
me, but God has been very good to me, 
and I think I will not have so many diffi- 
culties again. I am assured the way will 
be opened to me to do all that God wants 
me to do here. My only anxiety is to 
(99) 



100 FILLED HANDS. 

know and tr}^ to do it in his way. Pray- 
that I may have God-given wisdom to 
guide me in the way I shall tr}^ to work, as 
well as in the work I should do. I feel so 
unworthy to be allowed to work here for 
him, and then, too, to know that I do so 
little and that little so poorly. So much 
time wasted, so many opportunities un- 
improved! Not long until I will have to 
stand before our Master to render an ac- 
count, and I fear with only empty hands. 
The only consoling thought in it is that he 
is not only my Master, but my Father, 
Friend. Oh, such a friendl 

*'So sad have I been made recently by 
the death of my dear brother! It was a 
great shock to me. Only a little while ago 
he wrote me a long letter and seemed well 
and in good spirits. The next news was 
a notice of his death. He was anxious for 
me to come home, to see me comfortably 
situated once more. He never felt it pos- 
sible that I could be comfortable here. It 
was hard lo feel that I should not see him 
again and that I now have no brother. 
One tie less! Oh! such a strong tie broken! 

"In October I felt so weary and worn, 
having been at work all vacation, that I de- 
cided to make a little trip out into the 



INTERESTING LETTER, 101 

mountains of Shima in the country south 
of us, where no Christian work has been 
done. Mrs. Lyon was at home from her 
vacation and I could leave the school and 
all in her hands. We went about twenty- 
five miles on the cars, and then took jin- 
rikishas and went over rough mountain 
roads, in many places so steep that I had 
to walk. It was beautiful scenery and 
fresh air. Monkeys were playing in the 
trees over our heads, and wild bears and 
wolves were seen in the valleys. About 
noon we stopped at a little house by the 
way and drank tea and ate a dinner of rice 
and vegetables a-la-Japanese. After a rest 
we started again on our way. *We' means 
O Yone San, myself, and our guide, who is 
a merchant and a member of our church. 
He makes regular monthly trips in this 
part of the country to sell his goods. By 
night we reached a little town. To say I 
was a curiosity to that people gives you an 
inadequate idea. They had never seen a 
foreigner, and a foreign woman was a won- 
der of wonders. In five minutes our hotel 
was surrounded by a curious rabble of men, 
women, and children of all ages. I was 
upstairs, but they crowded as near as pos- 
sible and peeped through the cracks. I 



102 FILLED HANDS, 

was so tired and hungry that I ate with a 
relish ' what was set before me,' and by 1:he 
time it was dark I gladly laid me down on 
my little pallet and was soon soundly sleep- 
ing on m}" pillow of buckwheat husks. 
Meanwhile my passport had been sent to 
the police station showing that I was a mis- 
sionary. Curiosity was greater then than 
ever. A company of the town officials came 
to our hotel to see if I would talk to them 
about our religion. Our guide told them 
that I was very tired and that he did not 
like to call me. But he gave them some 
tracts and talked to them for an hour or 
more. They went away and told what they 
had heard. Our guide went to bed feeling 
that he had done what he could. About la 
o'clock another deputation came. They 
called him out of bed and begged him ta 
awaken me. But he persisted in telling 
them that I was not well and too tired to be 
disturbed. There were over thirty men, 
the best of the town present. He talked 
with them till near midnight, gave them 
some tracts and some copies of John's Gos- 
pel. The next morning when we were 
ready to go on our journey, vast numbers 
filled the streets and stood about the door. 
I gave tracts to all and apologized lor being- 



INTERESTING LETTER. lOS 

SO stupid the night before as not to know 
they were in the house. This saisfied them, 
as they had heard the wonder speak. Many 
followed us to the outer limit of the town. 
'' I bowed to the right and left as I passed 
along, as politely as circumstances would 
permit. One poor old woman came run- 
ning along across a small lot, stumbling 
over rocks and sheaves of rice that had just 
been pulled and laid out to dry, until she 
came near falling several times, so great was 
her haste and anxiety. Just after her last 
stumble there was a sudden turn in the 
road that brought me right close up to her 
before she was aware of it. Her startled 
look as she stumbled back as rapidly as 
she had before come forward was indeed 
amusing. I stopped and bowed to her 
most politely, and smiled as graciously as 
I could, then said good-by and vStarted on. 
She seemed full of surprise and delight to 
think I had so kindly noticed her when so 
many were there. She followed close along 
after me, down to the wharf, and w^as almost 
by my side when I stepped into the little 
boat. I bowed a kind good-b}^ again and 
again to all on the land as we started out 
from the wharf. When out a few yards 
we passed the school near by, with all the. 



104 FILLED HANDS. 

pupils drawn up in line along the shore to 
bid us a respectful adieu. A little further 
on I took out my handkerchief to wave 
them my farewell, O Yone San joining* with 
me. As w^e waved we bowed our heads to 
them and to the school. Thej^ all threw 
tip their hands and shouted their good-by 
most cordially. O Yone San said the old 
woman threw up both hands as high as 
she could and shouted loudly, as though 
she were trying to do some great he nor to 
some one. The}^ had never before seen a 
foreign style of parting and salutation, 
and it was pleasing to them. 

'"As we passed out into the open sea we 
Tvere near w^here the pearl divers were 
gathering oyters from the bottom of the 
^ea. I was anxious to see them at their 
work, so we passed out some miles further 
and joined ourselves to a party often wom- 
en-divers, who were just starting to their 
work, five or even ten women in a boat, 
managing it as skillfully as men. Each 
woman had as her diving outfit a washtub, a 
knife, and a pair of goggles for her eyes. 
When out where they wished to work, they 
anchored their small boat, took ofi" their 
clothing, except a short skirt and about one 
yard of w^hite cotton cloth, w^hich when 



INTERESTING LETTER, 105 

fastened about their waists reached to their 
knees. The ropes to their tubs were fast- 
ened to their waists, the knife was stuck 
into the waistband that held the cloth about 
the waist. Then they washed their gog- 
gles in the seawater, fastened them on, and 
put their tubs out in the water, and were 
ready for their descent into the deep. Some 
of them climbed down the side of the boat, 
others leaped out fearlessly. After swim- 
ming a short distance they stopped and 
seemed to stand straight up in the water, 
then, head over heels, plunged head fore 
most down to the bottom. Walking along 
the bottom, they gathered their scanty dress 
skirt or apron full of oysters, returning to 
the surface every two or three minutes to 
put their shells into their tubs, which they 
pulled to them by the attached rope. Again 
and again they repeated this, then out to 
their boats and off to the shore, where in a 
shelterd nook they had left their food, cloth- 
ing and children. There they hurriedly 
built a brush fire, making a bright blaze, 
around which they gathered and warmed 
themselves, and proceeded to examine their 
tubs. I bought twenty sen worth — equal 
to your ten cents — of their oysters, and a 
few pretty scalloped shells, with the mol- 



106 FILLED HANDS. 

lusks in them. I took them to our stop- 
ping place for the night and had them 
cooked for my supper, just for the novelty 
of eating pearl oysters that I had seen taken 
from the deep sea. We looked carefully to 
see if perchance I had purchased a pearl 
also, but no such good luck had happened. 
The scallop opens its shell like a great 
hinged door, and you can see the beautiful 
red mollusk oyster, but as soon as you 
touch it with your breath even, it suddenly 
closes, and woe to the luckless finger that 
was in its reach ! These shells are shaped 
like a boat on the bottom, or a deep shell. 
The top, though flat, is corrugated. When 
it swims it sets this to open in the water 
and swims by moving it back and forward, 
using it like a sail on a boat. 

*'By night we reached the town where we 
were to stop. It was situated on a high 
promontory jutting out into the sea, on the 
great wide sea whose furtherest side washes 
the shore of my own loved land. I fan- 
cied the air was almost fragrant with lov- 
ing messages. 

'' Our hotel was set high upon a rock out 
of reach of tidal waves. Soon after we 
had deposited our baggage and settled our- 
selves comfortably around the brazier of 



INTERESTING LETTER, 107 

of warm coals, a caller was announced. 
Then call succeeded call until late bedtime. 
All our talk was of Christianity, of which 
they had never heard before. We ex- 
pected to go further around the coast next 
day and out to some islands, but it rained 
and a storm threatened. As soon as it was 
made known that we would remain the 
oflBcers of the town sent to inquire if I 
would talk to them. In our hotel was a 
hall for the town meetings. There they 
assembled until it was full, over fifty of 
the best men of the town being present. 
God helped me, and I told them of the 
great God and the religion we teach. For 
two hours they listened with breathless 
attention and still wanted to hear more. 
I gave out every tract, copy of the gospels, 
Sunday school card, and paper that I had. 
I even gave O Yone San's Bible to the 
hotel keeper, who had already read the 
copy of John's Gospel given him on the 
evening before. He. had so many ques- 
tions to ask and seemed so eager to hear, 
as indeed all did. The next morning we 
left for home, having been out only five 
nights. But on account of the meeting at 
Ueno I was compelled to return. 

''I have descrived to you our reception 



108 FILLED HANDS, 

at two places. Others were similar. One 
place where they heard of our coming, the 
roadside was lined with people for nearly 
a mile. Such eagerness to hear the gospel I 
have not seen before. They begged me 
to come again or send a preacher. They 
will furnish a preaching place free of cost. 
I will send our pastor next week. 

'^I had a hard trip home but it did me 
good. Change of scene and air, with out- 
door exercise, were all good for me. May 
God bless you with health and happiness. 
'' lyovingly, 

''A. M. Drennan. 
'' March 1, 1899." 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

JAPANKSE CHRISTIANS AT WORK. 

In May, 1899, Mrs. Drennan writes in an 
interesting way of her life. No other lan- 
guage can give as true an idea of her won- 
derful ability to utilize and combine all the 
forces attainable, and to make everything 
subservient to her work, one characteristic 
of which is to teach the people to help 
themselves, each one doing his part. In 
this instance, as in many others, she fur- 
nishes them an example by doing the hum- 
blest services herself. Many who claim 
to be Christ's followers in this land might 
learn a lesson from the following story of 
one night's work by the members of a lit- 
tle church in Japan. 

'*To-night while I write to you, my house 
is filled with our people at work, men, 
women, and children, all busy. Some 
groups are cutting up old fish nets into 
threads for weaving into a pretty cloth for 
(109) 



110 FILLED HANDS, 

cloaks, or even winter dresses. I will put 
a thread of the net they are working on 
to-night into this letter. This is of linen. 
The last piece ^ve made was of nets made 
of silk threads, so very fine and nice. We 
made the warp all of black and the fillings 
also, except the alternate thread of silk fish 
net which was a beautiful seal brown. 
These nets are made to catch a particular 
kind of fish that is found in our streams. 
It is a very fine fish, small, almost destitute 
of bones. The catching of these is a favor- 
ite pastime with old gentlemen who have 
given all business into the hands of their 
sons, while they live at ease so far as nec- 
essary work or business is concerned. You 
would enjoy seeing the groups thickly set 
all over the room ; some cutting up the 
nets, some tying the threads together, 
some winding it on little reels, while other 
groups are making new fish nets for sale. 
This is the work for to-night. Men, preach- 
ers, lawyers, railroad men, and other offi- 
cers in the government work of the city, 
are busy making fish nets. Sometimes we 
make paper into thread, sometimes sewing, 
knitting, etc., all to make a few pennies to 
help in our ow^n w^ork, and also to promote 
sociability among our members. I write 



JAPANESE CHRISTIANS. Ill 

little by little until a mother came in with 
lier three-months'-old baby. This fell to 
my hands, while the mother joined the 
workers. I usually work, but if I do not 
get this off to-night or early to-morrow it 
will not go in the next mail, so I will pay 
my penny and do my own work to-night. 

" Baby, tiny, tiny little thing, now sleeps 
in my lap while I write these lines. All 
this taken together makes it doubtful 
whether you get a very readable letter this 
time, as of course there is much talk as 
well as work going on. In this talk I like 
to take part, so I must put in a word now 
and then.'' 

The following letters from two members 
of the old woman's class relative to their 
last annual w^oman's meeting, and addressed 
ta their sisters in America, will be read 
with interest. The writers of these letters 
are aged respectively 56 and 82. 

Tsu ISK, Japan. 

Dear Sisters in Christ: — I am vey glad to 
know that you are well and at the fountain 
of blessing. 

Every year about this time we have our 
woman's annual meeting. This year's 
meeting was the best we have had. Every- 



112 FILLED HAXDS, 

body was earnest, and their earnest 
prayers and talks impressed us deeply. I 
am a very weak Christian, but I received 
His great blessing. To the depth of my 
heart I was greath^ moved, and my power- 
less soul and body are overflowing with 
jo}'. This is all by the blessing of God, 
and the deep love of Mrs. Drennan. Also 
we owe a debt of gratitude to our sisters in 
America who have prayed earnestl}' for us. 
Our thanks to 3'ou, for your kindness to 
us, reach to mountain's height. Our thanks 
cannot be expressed with pen and paper. 
Forgetful of m\' unworthiness, I write 
with my unskillful pen to thank you. 
Your sister in Christ, 

Mrs. S. Fanida. 

Tsu IsE, Japan. 
Dear Sisters in Christ: — I am very glad 
to tell you about our woman's annual 
meeting. It was held on the 15th, i6th 
and 17th of this month. The subject of 
this meeting was Gal. xxii. 23. On the first 
day I was appointed to lead the meeting, I 
talked a little about love and joy. I also 
read Col. i. 4-24. After that several mem- 
bers of the old woman's society prayed and 
talked. We were filled with His Spirit, 



JAPANESE CHRISTIANS, 113 

and it was an interesting and beautiful 
meeting. That night we had meeting. 
On the i6th the Bible women and the pu- 
pils of the Bible Training School read es- 
says and passages of Scripture on this sub- 
ject, and it was very interesting. Miss 
Yone Hara led the meeting, and she quoted 
the several important passages in the Bible 
on the subject and talked. I was impressed 
by it. After that several prayers and talks, 
and our hearts were filled with his bless- 
ings, and I could not help weeping for 
joy. Few years past w^e had no such meet- 
ing. We owe this grand meeting to our 
dear sisters in America. You have united 
your hearts and prayed for us during our 
three days' meeting, and we deeply thank 
you for it. Also God has seen the earnest- 
ness of Mrs. Drennan, and gave us this 
good meeting. For this we are thankful. 
After the three days' meeting was over, I 
returned home, but my heart was so full 
of his blessing that I even forgot to rest 
my weary body. I am so frail as the dis- 
solving dewdrops, but God in his mercy 
has called me to be his servant. When I 
think of it I am so grateful that I want to 
do something which is pleasing to him. 
This time we had a very unusual holy 



114 FILLED HANDS, 

meeting. We are all rejoicing and thank- 
ing God for it. I write this letter to thank 
you for your kindneSvS. I hope our work 
will prosper this year. Your sister in 
Christ, Mrs. K. Nakamura. 

Although so closely identified with the 
Japanese, Mrs. Drennan is intensely loyal 
to her own people and native land. Dur- 
ing the war with Spain her sympathies 
were vStrong for ''our own dear boys," as 
she affectionately speaks of our soldiers, 
and in February, 1899, she wrote : " If I 
were younger I would go and help take 
care of the sick and wounded." To some 
of these she sent letters that no doubt car- 
ried cheer and comfort to all who read 
them. 



This little volume must end here, with 
the understanding that there is more to 
follow. If in the succeeding years Mrs. 
Drennan's work increases in extent and in- 
terest as it has in the last decade, the story 
of those years will probably cover many 
additional pages. 

An unwelcome thought here intrudes, 
suggesting that a woman sixty-nine years 
of age cannot have a great while in which 



JAPANESE CHRISTIANS, 115 

to do active work. But whatever the fu- 
ture may hold in trust for Mrs. Drennan, 
be it working or waiting, her past experi- 
ence gives assurance that under all circum- 
stances she will realize the presence of Him 
who, in answer to her petitions, filled her 
hands with the work she loved. And when 
the tale of years is complete, and she joy- 
fully bears the precious sheaves so cheer- 
fully gleaned to lay at His feet, a glorious 
reward will be hers. The approval of her 
Master in the well-earned words of wel- 
come: *' Well done, good and faithful ser- 
vant, enter thou into the joys of thy Lord." 



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JAN S9 1900 



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